The Last Gray Fox
by elderfan
Summary: Corvus Umbranox is now Count of Anvil, and passes down the Gray Cowl of Nocturnal giving the new Gray Fox ownership of the Thieve's Guild. The Gray Fox struggles as he was unprepared, taking on the position of a Guild Master without giving proper decision before his greed overtook him. After a month of leadership, the Gray Fox makes plans that will change the Thieves Guild forever.
1. Plans to Make Changes

Chapter one - Plans to make changes

Sundas, Sun's Dawn 1, 4E 0 - Near Midnight

I've might have made a mistake, I know I might have.

After the former Gray Fox accepted his position as Count of Anvil, I was given the opportunity to become the Gray Fox, to continue on the legacy. Without properly giving decision and thought, I greedily accepted the gray cowl of Nocturnal, to be the Gray Fox, leader and Guildmaster of the Thieves Guild. What I didn't know, though, was after placing the cowl upon my head, my last identity was erased. My old friends, family, don't even recognize me. For all they know, I'm dead and was killed during the Oblivion Crisis that had just recently ended a month ago.

It's been a month since I've accepted the title of Guildmaster, and I struggle keeping the Guild in line, unprepared for all the responsibilities that I have, now that I lead this Guild. It's stressing, but I know I have a job to do. Posters of me are placed upon walls of every district of the Imperial City, posters that should've now been torn down after I reassigned Hieronymus Lex as the captain of the guard in Anvil. Maybe I should actually let them stay up, so that I can show my face to the public when I show that the Thieves Guild and the Gray Fox actually exists, that would be fun. Probably would be too risky though, so I won't give a full decision about that yet. I do know for a fact that, as I live as the legendary Gray Fox, I want to make sure my name is known and that history will be remembered.

I live in the house of Dareloth, the original Gray Fox and founder of the Thieves Guild. His home is Guild Hall for the Thieves Guild, where all members are welcome to visit and meet. I plan on making changes though, I have a room upstairs, but I don't need the living room. Why would i? I'm barely ever in it other than passing through. I will change it into a Guild bar, and place my doyen's to stay there where all members of the Guild unite here to receive quests and side jobs. My lieutenant Doyen, Armand Christophe, welcomes roughly 5 new thieves into the Guild a week, while most are not able to pass the admission test and end up behind bars or sentenced to death due to their lack of stealthy thieving. I have 24 loyal members in the Guild, 25 if that includes me, but I'd rather not.

Counting up the total number of recruits in the last month, the first month in my leadership, we now have a total of 41 members. Ever since the Ultimate Heist that I took on from the previous Gray Fox, counting at the first day in my leadership, recruits have been flooding in as the previous Gray Fox had spread so much influence upon Tamriel, he left all the work to me. I feel like I should despise him for that, but I won't judge him for wanting to return to his wife in Anvil. Not only will i change up the Guild Hall, but I need to assign my doyen's new jobs to hand out to members to bring in more coin. Busy with planning as I sit in my study area, a knock on the door so loud, killing the silence that stood in my room with me, caused me to jump.

"What is it? Come in!" I called behind me. Immediately, the door opened and footsteps become louder as they near me.

"Master?" A familiar rusty voice had spoken behind me.

"What is it?" I responded then turned around in my chair, to find both my personal assistants, Amusei and Methredhel, standing before me.

"Today dawn's a new month, as yesterdays have been buried in shadows. Our accounting shows that we've welcomed 17 new members into the Guild, master. We will need more outfits for future recruits. We have little left." Amusei requested.

I gave this some thought, and remembered I have a blacksmith to make the Guild more armor, or I can speak to the Dark Brotherhood? Forming a business alliance to benefit us both in profit. Maybe it's time to place all my plans in action starting today, this new month.

"I'm aware of that. Ever since that day after the Elder Scroll had been stolen from the White-Gold tower, fear and influence of the Thieves Guild had spread throughout Tamriel. Bringing in more recruits to the Guild at a dramatic rate, I may have to make some new changes to the Guild." This caught the attention of both Amusei and Methredhel, becoming amused.

"What changes do you plan on making, my master?" Methredhel asked first, intrigued to what she will hear next.

"Well. If you hadn't noticed, we've been making a lot of coin." I said as I pointed to my left, where against the west corner wall, a cupboard and chest stay as gold overfilled, leaking out onto the floor. Both Amusei and Methredhel smiled excitedly, and then I waved their attention back to me.

"I think we should give ourselves a new appearance," I told them, "a more stealthy approach as a thief remains one with the shadows. I'm getting quite worn out of this brown leather, and since our job is to remain as hidden as possible, I want to change it to black leather, just a color switch." Both seemed far too excited to receive this news, so much they couldn't hide their smiles.

"How are you going to place this plan in effect, master?" Amusei asked.

"Well. I have a blacksmith, and I have ties with the Dark Brotherhood. I used to be a speaker for the Black Hand. After respectfully departing the Brotherhood, i gave myself to being Guildmaster full-time. I've heard also they were going through a hard time rebuilding their Guild. Offering a business proposal at this time would benefit both our guild and theirs. I plan on buying some of their unused armor, which is made in pitch black leather."

"Excellent idea, master!" Methredhel called out.

"Thank you. Not only that, soon after our return to the Brotherhood, I will replace my living room downstairs for a Guild bar. Reconstructing the entire room, I will hire a bartender and place tables and chairs around the room, and my doyen's will stay here, while all members come here to take on new duties."

"Oh my, that's perfect! A bar in the Guild Hall! What a brilliant idea, master!" Methredhel called out again, unable to hide her excitement. Amusei kept his under control.

"Thank you again, Methredhel. Also, I want those bedrolls in the basement out, and make it a living quarters placing single-sized beds for visiting members and beggars. I want to not only give up my home to our Guild, but giving my home to the Thieves Guild, where our brothers and sisters can come together and have a drink, to come and receive and complete tasks and jobs from our Doyen. This will be a new Guild Hall, home to all members of the Thieves Guild."

Both Amusei and Methredhel smiled, maybe too brightly, as if this were a dream come true for them. Once all my plans come into effect after a month of planning, this will be my dream come true, also. I don't have too much time, though. After a month spent in planning and leading the Guild, most don't pass the admission test, but some still do make it. I need to be prepared for this month's recruits. To begin, I need to go to the Dark Brotherhood, hopefully the password to the red door in the basement of the abandoned house in Cheydinhal still remained the same.

"Amusei, find Armand Christophe and tell him I want him to travel to Bravil and bring back S'Krivva with him. I shall have a meeting with my Doyen when I come back. As you do this, meet Methredhel and I at the stables after you've informed him." Amusei nodded then departed.

As I made way to the stables, bringing Methredhel with me as we wait for Amusei to arrive, we rode on horses to Cheydinhal. Riding non-stop as hours pass, the sun had completely erased itself from the sky, sacrificing itself to give the moon a night to breathe. We passed bandits time from time, trying to mug us, but we just rode right on past.

* * *

Morndas, Sun's Dawn 2, 4E 0 - Early Morning

"What is the color of night?" The tall red door asked as the three of us stood before it. Neither Amusei nor Methredhel knew the answer, standing there frozen on their feet with fear stretched across their faces.

"Sanguine, my brother." I responded back to the door, then a moment later the door opened wide enough for us to enter.

"Welcome home." The door darkly whispered behind after we stepped through.

Both my assistants shook in fear, scared at their unacknowledged of what they are getting themselves into. Walking up the path, immediate darkness lie ahead. Taking each step, I could see a flame burning itself in the direction we walked. Then I see a pink color of aura like smoke that flowed through and around what stood a dark figure as we neared. Walking slowly, cautiously, into the Dark Brotherhood, the figure that stood made out to be a tall person holding a torch dressed in complete pitch black robes that had been facing the opposite direction. I halted my assistants as we stand behind the tall black figure.

"Well hello, there." I said.

Instantly, the black tall robed person turned around to stare at the faces of each of us. I was able to make out her face in the light of her torch and remember who this person was. Her name is Arquen, an Altmer woman and Speaker for the Black Hand. As she stared at me, her eyes widen in surprise.

"Oh! The Gray Fox! You really do exist! How did you get in here? Speak now before you die tonight!" Arquen spoke aloud, and from behind me I heard Methredhel draw her bow and ready and arrow to aim it at her, as Amusei unsheathed his short-sword. I also seen two more pink auras appear in the darkness behind Arquen, probably had their weapons drawn already.

"I am the Gray Fox, I infiltrated the emperor's tower to steal an elder scroll. What makes you think I couldn't make my way in here? Relax, ma'am. I am here only to make a proposal."

I raised my fist above my shoulder and I head the tightened string of Methredhel's bow loosen, and Amusei's sword sheath. Arquen eyed each of us, then relaxed herself.

"What is it you want, Fox?" She sounded cautious.

"Well. I've heard your guild went through some trouble, now you're having a hard time rebuilding the Brotherhood," Arquen's eyebrows rose up, "so while my guild rises to fame, I thought I'd like to propose a business alliance, a profitable trade, of your unused black leather, for gold in return. I grow tired of our own outfits, same old light brown, I want to make them darker." I told her.

"You come here this night to propose a business trade in buying our armor? How do I know you wouldn't disguise yourselves as us?"

"Please. Let's be civil, shall we? Do we really need to use the Dark Brotherhood's identity as our own? Would that be necessary? I simply want your leather. You seem to be in need of the funds, however, since you only have two others to run the guild." Arquen turned around to look back as the other two figures appeared behind her.

"Besides, I would like to help your guild, as long as we continue a trade and work together, you will develop good coin to support your guild. Is there a reason we aren't allies? Listen. You sell me your armor; I'll spread word you're in need of more recruits." Arquen stared at me as she thought of this request.

"Okay, sounds like an honest proposition. In fact, changing our look would not be a bad idea, neither. Perhaps another color with black, red maybe?" She turned to her associates behind her.

"Sounds good, red and black, both colors go great together." One of her cutthroats responded back.

"Probably add some studs into the leggings and gloves to give it a more aggressive approach, too." Arquen included with approval.

"Well then," I said as Arquen turned her attention back to me, "seems like we both want an upgrade to our guild appearance. Perhaps we have an agreement?" I held out my hand to her, and a moment later, she grabbed and shook my hand in return.

"Yes, we do. I will make arrangements immediately to requesting more leather from other guild's of Tamriel. How many are you looking to buy?" Arquen asked.

"Well. In the past month, we've almost doubled in our guild population, so send me 60 outfits as a starter, and continue with 30 monthly. That should be good enough."

"Splendid. Sounds like a profitable and beneficial alliance to me. I look forward to doing some business with you, Mr. Fox." Arquen said.

"As do I, where shall we meet to introduce the new armor?" I asked.

A moment of thought, she reached her decision. "Fort Farragut, east up the road of Cheydinhal, on the 19th of Sun's Dawn, near nightfall." Arquen said.

"Capital! Thank you, I look forward to that day. Until then, stick to the shadows, Arquen."

Her eyebrows rose in surprise and confusion, unable to recall giving out her name before.

Riding back to the Imperial City, an Imperial horseman guard chased the three of us as I still had my cowl remained covering my face. We had to outride the guard, losing him near the ghost town of Aleswell. Leaving the horses at the Chestnut Handy Stables, we sneaked our way back to the Waterfront unseen and unnoticed. Armand had not been back with S'krivva, and he may not return till Mid-day. Until then, I stayed up late to write several invitational letters to all our guild members, all members that have been in the guild before my time as Guildmaster.

These letters will be sent out soon after the reconstruction of the Guild Hall, to bring all members for a Guild meeting. After a couple hours writing each invitation over and over on it's own parchment, I had finally finished and fallen asleep in bed.

* * *

Morndas, Sun's Dawn 2, 4E 0 - Midday

A loud and continuous knock had been at my door, waking me us as my eyes burned and bags under my eyes felt heavy. With the room pitch black of darkness, I stumbled my way to the door and cracked the door open.

"What is it?"

"Master, Armand Christophe and S'Krivva have arrived." Amusei responded.

"Alright, what time is it?"

"Midday, master."

"Okay, let them know to meet me here in half an hour from now."

"Yes, sir." Amusei said then took steps down the stairs.

Shutting the door, after a minute looking for my cowl, I lit candles to illuminate the room. Then I got dressed in the tiring and non-exciting leather armor. Setting things in place, bringing a couple chairs to the desk that stood next to the door, I sat behind the desk and cleared the top to place down two parchments. Waiting for a while longer while sitting, a knock at the door. _Finally, time to make changes._

"Come in." I called out, and the door openly slowly as S'Krivva and Armand enter the room.

"Please, have a seat, my doyen's, we have much to discuss."

Without hesitation, both had sat in a seat across from my desk. Both stared at me, nervous, as they were not used to private meetings with the Guildmaster.

"S'Krivva. Armand. Welcome." I greeted.

"Greetings, Guildmaster." S'Krivva responded.

"Good day, master." Armand responded also.

"I'm sure you both are wondering why I had summoned you both here today, but do not worry, relax. No bad news to give," giving both a moment to relax, I sat to recollect myself, then continued, "I am working on a change to the guild. As you both already know, you two are my doyen, all members of the guild come to you two to receive their tasks. Before you both, is a list for you to keep. Please feel free to review them."

Both had took their own parchment and read the list. After a few moments, both had realized what the list meant.

"You.. are assigning us responsibility to giving out side jobs?" S'Krivva asked first.

"That is correct. The quests you assign all members are tests for advancement to higher ranks and titles. However, I am assigning you both your own set of side jobs to give out. Each member, after this day, will have to complete 5 jobs from each of you before given an advancement test. This means every member will have a total of 10 jobs to complete."

"Master, may I ask, why is each member required to finish 10 jobs, before a testing quest for advancement?" Armand asked.

"Good question. I feel it wouldn't take long for a fellow thief in the guild to raise himself up to the top ranks in the guild, without truly deserving his title. I say it would take a month for a committed thief to rise up in ranks to the top, but with these new rules, it should take him more than a month."

"I completely agree, Guildmaster. It would slow down the process for a thief to rise so easy, giving him the time to earn his title without rush." S'Krivva agreed.

"Correct, S'Krivva. Now. I'm also going to make changes to the Guild Hall, replacing my living quarters with a Guild bar. When this is finished, I want both my doyen's to remain in the Guild bar as all members come here to receive jobs from both of you."

"But, master, I live in Bravil." S'Krivva included.

"Then perhaps I should replace you as a fence and bestow the title of doyen to another member who is willing to relocate? It's your choice."

Her face dropped, regretting to have mentioned her objection. "No sir, that's OK." She responded.

"Perhaps Armand can open up space for a bed for you in his home?" I suggested. S'Krivva turned her eyes to Armand, as he looked at her and smiled, then she returned her eyes back to me.

"Now. If you both will please, take another look at your list as I assign you both your jobs to give out." I said as both had looked upon their lists.

"There are a total of 7. So Armand, I will give you 4. You have the Burglary job, which is to steal a specific item from a home. The Heist job, to steal a specific item from a business. The Shill job, to plant a stolen item in someone's home to frame. And the Sweep job, to steal 3 specific items from a home. You understand?" I asked.

"Yes, sir. Burglary, heist, shill, and sweep." Armand responded.

"Good. S'Krivva? You will be in charge of the Bedlam job, to steal enough valuables in a home or business up to 500 in gold value. The Fishing job, to pickpocket an item from a given target. And the Numbers job, to modify a ledger book at a given business. The purpose, S'Krivva, of a numbers job is to change information in the business ledgers located in various stores and inns around Cyrodiil. These side jobs are to be given to all members before providing them the quest for advancement. Keep record of who you give a job to and how many they've completed. You two will stay all night in the Guild Hall, while during the day, you may rest. You two also will need to work together to find targets and locations all throughout Cyrodiil to assign members their jobs to different towns. Do you both understand?" I finally finished speaking.

"Yes, master." Both S'Krivva and Armand had agreed at the exact timing.

"Capital! Now. I will seek to reconstructing the Hall starting tomorrow, it should be done in a week. Until then, both of you work together to make more jobs for the Guild. Explore Cyrodiil more, find targets for the jobs you will give. If you need help in obtaining a map of each town with all the residencies and businesses, look to the First Edition bookstore in the Market District. If you also need help, of any assistance, call upon Methredhel or Amusei." I said.

"Very well, Guildmaster." S'Krivva said.

"Thank you, master." Armand said also.

"Thank you both for your time today, this meeting is now adjourned." I concluded.

All three of us had stood up, both giving me a handshake, then exiting the room. By tomorrow, I will have preparations being made to reconstruct the living room. This will be the Guild's future. I stood there, trying to remember what I forgot I was in need of doing. Then a large amount of air rushed up through my throat coming from my lungs, and I opened my mouth to yawn.

_Ah, yes. Bedtime._


	2. Guild Meeting

Chapter two - Guild Meeting

Tirdas, Sun's Dawn 10, 4E 0 - After Midnight

"Place it against the staircase wall." I said, speaking to my workers as they set up tables for the new Guild bar.

Last week, I had a meeting with my Doyen's discussing the future plans. Over the week, a few recruits joined but failed the admission test with their arrest, so now we're at a solid 41. Today is the day I place my plans in action, to change the Guild. With counters pressed tight together against the opposite wall from the staircase, I have hired a new bartender who is ready to start serving drinks at dusk today. All alcohol products and wines have already been stocked, and tankards ready to be used. Now I just have single tables with two chairs being placed in random areas of the room.

I have placed several single beds in the basement, ridding of the bedrolls, bringing in a total of 5 to conserve space and walk-through. Now a few more beggars would be able to sleep in the basement, in what I now call it the 'guest quarters'. The small closet-sized room in the basement that contained a table with several extra lockpicks had been taken out and replaced with a bedroll, a bed wouldn't fit.

"Everything is set. Today at dusk, our new bartender of the Thieve's Guild, an Orc named Burg Gro-Kaash, will be here to service the new bar. Be aware that Burg takes his job seriously, has been a bartender for many years, and will not hesitate to throw out any troublemakers who stay to drink too much. Does everyone understand?" I asked my audience as I had requested all members in the Imperial City tonight to meet in the Guild Hall.

This included the 12 original members in the city before my time as Guildmaster; Ancus Afranius, Carwen, Armand Christophe, S'Krivva, Dynari Amnis, Hillod the Outlaw, Isleif the Open-Handed, Amusei, Methredhel, Othrelos, Mandil, and J'Baana, as I had to have him bailed out of prison, or his excuse, just visiting. All 12 thieves had nodded and gave yes for their understanding.

On the table beside me, I had 9 parchments together placed upon each other, picking them up, I looked to my audience.

"I will need 7 volunteers, to travel by horse to a given town to invite a fellow thief member to the Guild Meeting that will take place in a couple nights from tonight. Doyen's, remain still." I said as they all stood still, then one by one, Amusei, Methredhel, Othrelos, Mandil, Carwen, Ancus Afranius, and Dynari Amnis had all stepped forward.

"Now. Who knows Goblim Jim, and where he stays?" I asked. Silence remained throughout the room, until Ancus had raised his hand.

"Good. Seek to give him this invitation, and have him follow you by horse back. If he doesn't own a horse, have him ride with you or steal his own horse. Off you go." I told him as he nodded and I handed him the invitation, then departed the room.

"Amusei," I said as he brought up his eyes from the floor to meet my face, "I want you to travel to Bravil, seek out the City-Swimmer, Argonian, and Dro'Shanji, a Khajiit. City-Swimmer will be easy to locate, and if you have trouble finding Dro'Shanji, he usually spends time in the gardens of Castle Bravil. Give both their invitation then bring them back by horse. Please make sure no one gets caught stealing a horse." I told him.

"Yes, master. Right away." Amusei confirmed. I handed him two parchments then he left. Looking at a personal record on one of my thieves, I thought for a moment.

"Othrelos?" I called out.

"Yes, sir?" He responded.

"I understand that you travel to Skingrad often, to spend time at the West Weald Inn?" To his surprise, his eyes widen. Must have not known I know what he does, as I have eyes and ears in every town.

"T-that is c-correct, sir." He stuttered out.

"Well. I understand you pass the vineyards a lot going through? Seek out an Imperial man named Reman Broder, a fellow thief member that works for the Surilie Brothers Vineyards. You may find him outside Grateful Pass Stables while he works. Take a horse for him from the stables, bring him back." I handed him an invitation and he left.

"Mandil. I understand that you live with Othrelos?"

"Yes, Mr. Fox." she agreed.

"Good, well I'll send you to the nearest town where Othrelos is going, you can ride alongside him. Seek out a female Dunmer named Glistel, and a male Redguard named Malintus Ancrus, both living together in Chorrol." I handed her two copies, she nodded then departed.

"Methredhel, seek out a Khajiit named Ra'qanar, monk and servent in Castle Cheydinhal." I told her as a smile brightened her face.

"Yes, guildmaster! I shall have him back before sunrise!" She said enthusiastically.

"Capital! Make me proud, Methredhel. Off you go, now." I handed her a copy, then she quickly hurried out the door in a rush. She was good to get things done quick. Carwen and Dynari remained, waiting.

"Carwen, put on an extra pair of clothing because I want you to bring Helvius Cecia in Bruma back, he's an Imperial. And Dynari, bring back a Khajiit named Ahdarji living in Leyawiin." Handing both their copy, giving a 'yes sir' in response and leaving, I look to the remaining members waiting for directions.

My Doyen's, Armand Christophe and S'Krivva, had both already picked their favorite seats they will primarily sit during the nights to come. Hillow the Outlaw, Isleif the Open-Handed, and J'Baana had all been sitting patiently also in their own seats.

"I have stationed all 17 newest recruits of the past month here in the Imperial City, before the night of guild meeting, I want the 5 of you to seek out the individuals and inform all 17 to meet 2 hours after midnight at the beach beside your house, Armand." He nodded and the rest seemed to have understood.

"Now. To bring this meeting to an end, I will give you all the identities of the 17 recruits, I want you all to work together and discuss with each other who will seek out who. It is after midnight right now, you all have 48 hours to bring them all to meet beside Armand's house. I will now return to my quarters, Methredhel should e back before sunrise, make sure every invited member waits in the City until the hour of the guild meeting. We wouldn't want the Watch to become suspicious of the populated Waterfront." I said to my audience.

"Very well, guildmaster." S'Krivva spoke first. Then the rest had nodded and stood up, the group had started speaking to each other as I went upstairs into my room.

Closing the door behind me, I pulled off my cowl and noticed first the big king-sized bed calling for me.

Without intention, my feet were already taking it's steps to the bed until I flopped down onto it.

My intention was to give myself a couple minutes to rest then get up, but the inevitable had come, and next thing I knew, I was dreaming.

* * *

Turdas, Sun's Dawn 12, 4E 0 - After Midnight

Knocks on the door had disturbed me as I jumped up being startled, the door had cracked open slightly.

"Master? It is time. Everyone is waiting." The rusty voice of Amusei spoke through the cracked open door.

"Okay, be right out." I called back.

Staring down at my desk, I have had written in long planning, a speech. Now that the time has come to read it aloud, I feel I would not need it. I believe I have memorized the key points, so instead, I should improvise a bit.

I stood up and exited my room, followed the steps leading downstairs, and met with Burg Gro-Kaash. He stood waiting behind the bar, I've given him my welcome to the Guild just yesterday, but perhaps it is time for him to be formally welcomed _by_ the Guild.

"Come with me, Burg. I will give you a proper welcome to the Guild, and give you some business flowing."

"That will be my pleasure, sir." He responded back as he followed me outside.

The air had been very cool, winter was still flowing through the lands of Cyrodiil. In Bruma, it would be snowing all day long. In Skyrim, well, that is a much more frozen story.

I walked Burg past the Garden of Dareloth, down the alley to the stairs and took a left, following the path that led to Armand Christophe's house.

Behind it, I can see a lot of dark figures and some holding torches to illuminate the darkness.

Approaching, many races of men and women stand chatting among themselves as I reveal myself before the crowd, then all eyes stared on me.

Many whispers and murmurs were being made throughout the crowd. I stare them all back, into every one's eyes.

"Greetings, members of the Thieves Guild. I am the Gray Fox, your leader, your Guildmaster, and in my name, the founder of the Thieve's Guild." The crowd gave applause and cheer in response.

"Not everyone believes I exist, not everyone believes the Thieve's Guild exists! They believe we are just a myth, a fairy tale!" Laughter uprose from the audience.

"Now, I hope no one here believes we are, too." More laughter continued.

"We are not a myth, not a fairy tale, otherwise we would not be standing here today. For too long, we've all stood with the shadows, hiding and afraid of our own names to be known. For too long, this Guild has been kept secret! Most believe we are just a myth! But tonight forward, we shall not hide no longer!" The crowd cheered and clapped.

I noticed S'Krivva and Armand Christophe among the crowd, then I waved them both over to my side. I also realized Burg stood beside me, silent and waiting.

"I would like to introduce to all newest recruits, Armand Christophe and S'Krivva." Everyone clapped their hands as Armand and S'Krivva gave their waves to the welcoming crowd.

"Armand and S'Krivva are our Guild doyen, you are given tasks and jobs from these two members. They can clear your bounty for whatever crimes for whatever crimes you've committed, for half the price of the total bounty. You may also purchase extra lockpicks from both. Everyone also must report to the doyen for whatever questions you may have, or guidance you seek, do not come looking for me. The doyen's are our Guild lieutenant." Everyone stood quiet, listening.

"There are also fences within the Guild. Fences are members of the Thieve's Guild that will buy your stolen items from you at a good price. Before being promoted to a new rank, you must have sold a certain amount of fenced items to the fences, then you will be moved on to the next fence at a different location that will buy from you at a higher price. You are assigned to a specific fence, the first fence every new recruit must sell to first, is Ongar the World-Weary, a Nord, located in the town of Bruma. If you have any more questions, the doyen will be glad to answer any time." Many of the audience stood silent and standing, listening, while some murmured upon each other in small voices.

Burg stood quite impatient, ready to go back to work, as I had forgotten about him once again.

"Everyone please welcome, Burg Gro-Kaash, our Guild bartender. Alcoholic beverages and wines will be sold from him, at a price. He and the doyen will remain in the Guild Hall, right in front of the Garden of Dareloth, from dusk to dawn every night." Loud cheering rose, so loud that our ear drums were ringing.

"Now, brothers and sisters of the Thieve's Guild, go and start your lifelong career as thieves, spread the influence that our Thieve's Guild exists! We shall hide no longer in the shadows, go and take what you want, because it is yours!" Loud cheering, clapping, and whistling were at full volume as Burg, the doyen's, and I, led our audience back to the Guild Hall.

I was first inside and off to my room to continue plans. Minutes later, plenty of voices downstairs were rising.

A knock on the door, then it cracks open.

"Master? Everyone would like you to come down and join for a drink, a toast for the future of the Thieve's Guild." Amusei had said.

I thought about it for awhile, '_maybe a drink or two wouldn't be too bad_,' I thought.

"Alright, be down in a few." I called out, then the door had shut.


	3. Knights of the Thorn

Chapter three - Knights of the Thorn

Sundas, Sun's Dawn 22, 4E 0 - Before Midnight

A few days ago, we've received our new Guild armor, shrouded, slim, and black as the void.

The suit was tight, but easy to move in and light-weighted as a thin second layer of skin, and hard enough that a blade wouldn't cut through easily.

I refused to wear the hood, it was a little suffocating, so I just kept the cowl on.

It had been a little over a week since the Guild meeting, and since then, plenty of jobs have been given out and promotions earned within the ranks. More recruits came in, and we stand at a total of 46 members within the Thieves Guild.

Everything was running smoothly as planned, considering that the doyens were more busy now than they ever were.

In the Black Horse Courier news, plenty of homes and businesses have been robbed. The Imperial Legion are alerted and their night watch of guard has nearly doubled in the Imperial City, eager to place our fellow thieves behind bars.

As our Guild grows, we must all be careful and acknowledge how dangerous it can be for a Guild full of thieves.

Lately, as I have been reading reports of robberies and thefts, I've came with a plan to put our name on the front page of the Black Horse Courier. I plan to make more citizens alert and aware of us, to finally know we exist.

_Why hadn't Corvus Umbranox, the last Gray Fox before he resigned to be Count of Anvil, made the decision to let the world know he and the Thieves Guild exists? Was he afraid, because Hieronymus Lex had been on his trail and he didn't want to be arrested? Why did he not want to expose himself?_ These were questions I had thought about and asked myself constantly, almost everyday.

Tonight, I will personally steal from someone, someone who is hypocritically proud of himself, though he does not live up to his title. His name is Farwil Indarys, founder of his group, 'Knights of the Thorn', and son to the Count of Cheydinhal, Andel Indarys. He and his small group of knights wear full body steal armor and also a circular medallion to symbolize their group.

With Amusei as my sidekick tonight, we will strip the knights of their titles by stealing their most prized and proud possession, the Thorn medallion.

I have written a small note to be left on a nightstand to be found, this will most definitely catch the attention of the Black Horse Courier, and also show the world we exist, that we will not hide no longer.

* * *

Morndas, Sun's Dawn 23, 4E 0 - After Midnight

After hours have passed since we left the Waterfront, riding to Cheydinhal, we waited outside the Knights of the Thorn lodge for the right timing to proceed inside.

"How long will we wait, Master?" Amusei asked.

"Patience, Amusei, that is the key to expert thieving."

"Forgive me, sir. I only wonder when will be the right time for us to enter."

"Soon. We only wait till we're sure there is no waking eye remaining open."

"I understand, sir." Amusei said.

We waited outside probably half an hour later, then I've decided for us to go in since it had been maybe an hour or two past midnight.

"Be sure not to make any noise; search for the medallions, pocket them, then we leave. Got that?" I asked him.

"Understood, Master."

We moved silently from behind the lodge to the front entrance, I pulled out one lockpick and unlocked it within a couple seconds after a few shakes of the pick. Amusei watched then his eyes widened in shock as he realized that the lock had been a master lock.

"Master, couldn't you have used magic to unlock the door?" He asked.

"I'm a thief, not a mage." I responded in a low voice that set him to fall silent after being corrected.

I turned the knob ever so silently until the rotation of the knob came to a stop, then I pushed the door open slowly.

We made our way inside, and finding that the first room was the living quarters. Several beds were placed a few contained bodies, as the lighting in the room had been dimmed.

I pointed Amusei on one side of the the room to search the area for the medallions of the two men that sleep in their beds. I approached one bed where a Dunmer sleep, he had dark long hair, and snored moderately loud.

_'This must be Farwil'_, I thought to myself. I peeked from above him to see if he had been wearing his medallion, but he had not.

I searched his end table, nothing.

I noticed that each bed had it's chest set at the foot of the bed, I unlocked his, and found his medallion, plus about 10 septims.

I took them, left the note inside where the medallion was, then closed it. I turned to find Amusei picklocking one of the chests, seeming to have a problem getting it unlocked.

I approached him, helped open the chest, then I moved to the next chest. I unlocked it easily and pulled out another medallion plus 12 septims, which I had no problem in pocketing.

I turned to Amusei as he was putting coins in his pockets, but no medallion.

He looked at me, and I mouthed, 'did you find it?', with no voice escaping from my lips.

He shrugged with his hands up, showing they had been empty, and shaking his head as he mouthed quietly, 'I don't see it'.

I understood exactly what he was trying to say, I pointed at the sleeping man telling him to look if he had been wearing it, Amusei turned and proceeded to check.

I passed him and went into the other rooms, nothing around had interested me to take. I found a few hidden septims with a gold necklace in a small jewelry box on a bookcase, but found nothing else.

I went back to join Amusei to find him with his hands around the man's neck. Immediately, panic inside me rose as I thought he was trying to choke him to death.

"What are you doing?! We gotta go!" I whispered silently at him, trying not to be loud.

He turned and looked at me, used his hands to circle around his own neck a few times then pointed at the sleeping man before him. He mouthed 'it's around his neck!' to me, then I nodded and swirled my hands in a rotating movement telling him to hurry up.

A couple of minutes passed as I waited at the door and Amusei struggled to take the necklace off because the man kept moving. I could never forget how amusing and funny it was to watch as when the man moved, Amusei got so scared and froze up, making the most hilarious faces as he stared directly at him to make sure his eyes didn't open.

Amusei had to keep lifting the mans head gently, then releasing his dead down onto the pillow, thinking he was woken up after moving.

He finally managed to pull the medallion off from around his head then relaxed. I waved him to come, then he moved silently around the bed and followed me out the door, going back to the Imperial City.

* * *

Middas, Sun's Dawn 25, 4E 0 - Nightfall

"The Gray Fox and the Thieves Guild exposed! Farwil Indarys robbed!" I read aloud to my audience of S'Krivva, Armand Christophe, Amusei, Methredhel, Burg, and a few other thieves that reside here in the Imperial City.

"As of Morndas morning, the Knights of the Thorn have awakened to a burglary in the lodge! The Knights have been robbed of their clan medallions, along with missing treasures of septims within the lodge. A small note had been left behind in replacement stating, 'This year dawn's a new era for Tamriel, the era for the rise of the Thieves Guild. We do exist, we are everywhere - The Gray Fox, Leader of the Thieves Guild'. Such a short statement, yet an intimidating and threatening message to the citizens of Cyrodiil! For those who have believed the Gray Fox or the Thieves Guild to be a myth, today is the day where we are all unfortunately proven wrong. The Count of Cheydinhal, father to Farwil Indarys, was furious as he ordered his City Guard an investigation in the lodge. We also have taken advantage of the opportunity to interview Farwil Indarys on his thoughts of the robbery: 'He's a blasted thief! This Gray Fox had not simply stole from us, but without our Thorn medallions, we will regretfully have to discontinue the Knights of the Thorn! We will find this Gray Fox, put him down, and take back what is ours! Hazzah!'. With the evidence and self-exposure of the Gray Fox and Thieves Guild, what will happen next? Have the recent burglaries and robberies across Cyrodiil been the works of the Thieves Guild? The Gray Fox himself had stated that the 4th era is the era and rise of the Thieves Guild, does this mean this is the beginning of the Gray Fox's personal attack upon the citizen's of Tamriel? Tune in for more upcoming news with the Black Horse Courier!" I finished reading out loud and set the parchment on the table as I looked to my audience.

Everyone had begun cheering and clapping their hands.

"Everything went just as planned, Master!" Amusei exclaimed.

"This was brilliant! Such rewarding news! We shall have that displayed upon our wall!" Methredhel said with full enthusiasm.

"I agree, Guildmaster. Nail it proudly on the wall for all to see." S'Krivva had joined in.

I smiled, so much support and love these people give me, and truly, I could have never been so glad as I am now to be part of the Thieves Guild. The way they make me feel is much more than I've ever experienced, this isn't just a Guild for me; this is _family_.

Proudly, I nailed the parchment on the wall, for everyone to see. I turned to see every one of their faces smiling.

"Burg! Brew us all an ale! This calls for celebration!" Methredhel said.

"The era and rise of the Thieves Guild!" Amusei added in.

"I will, for a price." Burg responded.

"I can pay for it, Methredhel's right. This dawn's the era of our Guild, this is merely the beginning." I told Burg as he immediately went to work.

Minutes later, after we've all had our first tankard of ale, I looked to all my friends, seeing the smiles on all their faces, talking and having a good time.

_'No this isn't just a Guild, this is family,_' I thought as a tear of happiness ran down my cheek, and fell to the floor as my cheeks rose, forming a smile. (:


	4. The Staff of Indarys

Chapter four - Staff of Indarys

Morndas, Sun's Dawn 30, 4E 0 - After Midnight

"I guarantee I will find the staff first."

"No you won't, not while I'm here."

"I will. I found the diary of Amantius Allectus first."

"That was a long time ago! That doesn't count."

"Ha! It does, because it was a race for the best thief."

"A race you didn't win."

"That's because -"

"Would you two please just shut it! Arguing here will do nothing but expose us!" I rasied my voice in the loudest whisper I could possibly manage.

Amusei and Methredhel looked at me with apologetic faces.

"Sorry, Master." Both had said at the same time.

The three of us had been stationed just outside Castle Cheydinhal, waiting until after a couple hours past midnight. I have heard about a family heirloom staff in the possession of Andel Indarys, Count of Cheydinhal.

A week ago, I had robbed from his son, and I believe it will cause quite a stir if I come back again to rob from the Dunmer Indarys family. I took great amusement to the rage of Andel Indarys after he had found out his son had been robbed, I believe it will be well worth it to see his blood boil again before I set my eyes to more important matters worthy of front page news in the Black Horse Courier.

The Count had been so furious with his son's robbery that he has not considered himself to be next. I am intrigued about the Staff of Indarys; it's design, it's texture, it would look great as a trophy placed within my room.

"Let's move in." I said to Amusei and Methredhel, interrupting them both from their thoughts as we waited long enough outside the walls of Castle Cheydinhal. We remained as nothing but shadows, a few guards would pass and we froze still as they couldn't see us. Only Masser and Secunda had their eyes upon us the entire night.

We entered in from the front entrance, found that no guards were guarding. We all walked straight, Methredhel and Amusei turned left going straight to a door that led into the Servant's Quarters. Both were already given instructions to search the castle for the staff, and on their own discretion, loot whatever they find.

I entered the Throne room, where two throne's center the room. One had flowers on the seat, which must resemble Cheydinhal's former Countess who is now ceased.

Surrounding the thrones, other than bushes, plants, and flowers in the room for what the Countess must have gardened in decoration, were two staircases leading up to balcony on the second floor.

The throne room had been empty and unguarded, '_where had everyone been? No difficulty at all tonight?_' I thought.

I looked up to the balcony to see 3 doors, one on the left, middle, and the right. Both the left and right, on top of it's own staircase.

I entered up the left staircase, cracked open the door to look inside._ The Grand Hall._

I walked to the next door, the middle one, looked inside to see it was the Private Quarter's.

I searched all of it, did not find the staff anywhere, I looted some septims here and there in drawers and cupboards. No staff though, so I left the room and went to the third door in the Throne room.

Finally, the Lord's Private Quarters, I knew this after seeing on bed in the entire room where Count Indarys lay asleep. I found the staff visibly placed inside a display case, I took it, and placed my famous theft note for Count Andel to see as he awakes the following morning.

I hadn't been in a rush, so I felt free to loot the rest of his Quarter's with plenty of septims and many jewelry to sell, or keep as my own. It had been completely silent, until the Count had coughed and I crouched down low on high alert thinking he had awaken.

He was still asleep, but I felt I've been inside too long only for him to wake up and possibly see me in his room. I didn't want that.

I left his room, as I closed the door, I seen Methredhel crouched down next to the Throne's entrance of the room. I departed from the second floor onto the first, I approached her, she had a worried yet troubled look on her face that was too visible to ignore.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"Master... Amusei and I, we were- well- he-... Master, a guard heard us, caught Amusei as he held something that wasn't his, and arrested him on sight for theft. I rid before the guard seen me." She explained.

"What?! Seriously?!" I said maybe too loudly, luckily no one had been in the room, Methredhel tensed up. "I told you two to stop the arguing, is that how the guard heard you?"

"Yes, I'm sorry, Master." Methredhel said apologetically. "We were just in the Servant's Quarters, everyone was asleep, I didn't think we were loud enough for someone to wake, and we weren't but a guard had come inside."

"We have to get him out, he's always being arrested." I told her as she followed me out the Throne room, into the County Hall, then outside to go to the Castle Guard Barracks.

Slowly, I opened the door, a guard or two sat down eating on a chair, taking their lunch breaks. I shut the door to discuss a plan.

"We will need a distraction. The jail guard must be writing his report now of Amusei's arrest, and two guards sit right inside taking breaks, we will sneak past them, you go inside the dungeon's, and I need you to lead the guard out as I go free Amusei." I ordered her.

"Yes, Master. I will be waiting at the stables." Methredhel responded.

We both went inside, sticking to the shadows, the two guard's looked back to see who has come in, but the door was already shut before they seen us. The guards couldn't see us in the dark along the walls, we glided against it crouched down.

Ahead of us, stairs leading up to the rest of the Guard Barracks, the door that led down to the dungeons was there. I stopped at the stairs, went up a few steps, and sat down as I pointed Methredhel to go inside.

Waiting for a few moments, listening to the chatting guards that were on break, the door flew open, and out comes Methredhel running.

The guard behind followed, "Stop right there, criminal scum!" He yelled after her.

She passed both the guards in the room as they stood up quickly and ran out the door to the Courtyard. I took advantage of the opportunity I had in case the yelling guard woke anyone else up the stairs, waiting no longer, I went inside the dungeons.

Passing the jail guards desk, I had seen a parchment laid out with a quill and ink feather next to it, I had been right, this must be the guards report.

I took it and crushed it, pocketed it, and walked to the prison cells. All had been empty except the last cell which Amusei had sat on his bed, once he seen me, he stood up quickly.

"Master! You came! Amusei is most grateful, always being rescued from the Gray Fox." He said.

"You're always being arrested. Speak to Armand to clear your bounty, later on once we're out of here."

"Will do, Master."

I unlocked his cell gate, opened it, and we had left. Amusei grabbed his outfit, I waited as he quickly rushed to put on his shrouded armor. He rushed too fast as I watched him fall to the floor, and I laughed. I opened the door back into the Guard Barracks once he finished, empty, so we passed through to the courtyard.

At the entrance of the Castle Courtyard, we were about to go down the path that led straight into town, but at two guards were coming up. I pointed, as we hid immediately behind the small wall that lined the pathway.

Laying on the floor, while I still held the staff and placed it on the floor next to me, I moved as closest to the wall as possible. We waited for the guards to come and pass.

After about a minute, we both could hear the sounds of heavy steel footsteps crunching down on gravel. As they approached, the sounds becoming louder to the highest volume, they had stopped as another pair of footsteps joined from the Courtyard.

"Report, soldier" One spoke.

"Sir, the jail guard on duty is missing, and I looked in the prison cells to find that our prisoner has escaped!" The other said, Amusei tensed up.

"Both of you, have all guards on duty perform a search within Cheydinhal. Wake the Count also, soldier."

"Yes, Captain, right away." Then the one who responded ran back into the Castle Courtyard, while another pair of footsteps turned and walked to town to notify the guards on duty.

One had remained on the other side of the wall, we stood completely still, nothing but our hearts beating so loudly that I believed the guard will end up hearing it.

Several minutes have passed, both Amusei and I grew utterly impatient, but we both knew if we moved or made any noise, the guard on the other side of the wall will notice us in the bright moonlight.

Plus, the guard held a torch in his hand.

After waiting a little longer, two pairs of footsteps, one heavy with steel boots, one light, approached from the courtyard.

"Report, Captain." Said the voice of Andel Indarys, Count of Cheydinhal.

"Yes, sir. We have a missing prisoner and jail guard." The Captain responded.

"Not only that, but my family heirloom staff! It's gone!" Count Andel said.

"Really? We performed a search of the prisoner before he was placed in his cell, all he had was his black leather armor and a dagger."

"Well we have another thief among us right now! Look at this." Count Andel said, then silence for a moment or two.

"Oh my, the Gray Fox! This is urgent, sir! We will not let him get away with this, we will find him."

"You bet your ass you will! I want all guards, even the ones off duty, to perform a complete search in Cheydinhal! I am hereforth placing Cheydinhal on lockdown, no one goes out or comes in until that Gray Fox and the prisoner is behind bars! The Gray Fox must still be in the city, go find him." Count Andel ordered.

"Yes, sir, right away!" The Captain responded, then he ran back into town, and another ran into the courtyard. The Count hadn't moved, until after a minute where another guard came up the road.

"Why were you not at your post, solider?!" Count Andel asked.

"Forgive me, sir. I was in the middle of writing my report for the prisoner's arrest, then an Altmer woman came in. I informed her she was in a restricted area and prisoner visits aren't until during the day. She walked up to my desk, and right in front of me, took the jail keys and ran! I had chased her to the west gate, she dropped them and left the city, I told the guards at the gate to follow her." The jail guard explained.

"Soldier, the prisoner has escaped! You've allowed a mere woman to distract you while the Gray Fox had time to free the prisoner!" A moment of silence, I had assumed the jail guard must be reading the note, or now, the Count's note.

"I had no idea, sir." He said apologetically.

"Go and resume your post soldier!"

"Yes, sir!" Then the guard had left, and Count Andel had followed.

There was now complete silence as Amusei and I got up from the ground.

"Master, what will we do?" Amusei asked.

"Escape, of course. Methredhel is waiting at the stables for us."

"How will we-..." Amusei stopped as we both crouched down to the ground. Several heavy steel footsteps were jogging from inside the Castle Courtyard, headed towards our position.

The steps grew louder, closer, as they had been right on the other side of the wall. Amusei had laid completely flat on the grass, pressing his weight against the small wall. The guards passed, we cautiously sat up.

"That must have been a whole battalion of guards." Amusei said.

"Yes. The city is under lockdown, the east and west gates will be under heavy watch."

"Master, how will we get out?"

I had to think for a bit, '_the only ways out of the city were blocked, so how will we get out?_' I thought. I remembered that we have a fellow brother here in Cheydinhal.

"We must go back inside the castle." I said.

"What? How? Why? The entire castle will be under guard also."

"No it won't. They had their time already to search inside, they will be more focused in the town. They wont expect us to go back into their own castle walls, they expect us to hide in town. We need to find Ra'qanar, a fellow brother thief in the Guild. He is a servant in the castle." Amusei nodded, then followed me back inside.

Once again, no guards on duty inside the castle. The entire had been silent, empty, no sounds at all. No one had been around, we didn't have to sneak, we just simply walked to right before the throne room then turned left to the Servant's Quarters.

After a small amount of time searching for Ra'qanar, we found him still asleep, completely unaware of the events of tonight. I had not bothered gently waking him from his beauty sleep, I just decided to shake him awake.

He woke immediately, scared and startled, and gave us his wide Khajiit eye stare. "Master? What are you doing here?"

"We need a way out the city. I stole the Staff of Indarys, Amusei ended up in jail and I had to free him out, Methredhel had to distract the jail guard as she ran out with guards chasing her, the Count woke up to find his staff gone and placed a lockdown on the city to find me and Amusei." I explained.

"By the nine, you two must have had a night. Okay let me think for a moment." Ra'qanar said.

We waited for a moment as he sat up and thought.

"I assume the easy and west gates are under watch?" He asked.

"Yes. No possible way to get past." I said as he thought longer.

"I believe I know a way out. I heard a story long ago of a jailbreak, you are aware the Corbolo river runs through this town, right?" Ra'qanar asked.

"Hard to miss."

"Okay, well, at the eastern wall of Cheydinhal, the river flows through town and exits through that wall, it will be barred. Go to that water exit, and simply dive under water, you will see two bars are bent open wide enough to squeeze yourself through. Try not to struggle yourselves through,you will be completely under water. Only very few know of this exit." He said.

"Thank you, Ra'qanar. I will find it."

"Be careful out there, Master, and Amusei, try not to get arrested again." He said, Amusei didn't seem to appreciate the comment.

We left the Servant's Quarters, and made our way back to the Castle Courtyard. Before walking out, we checked to see if it was clear to leave, no one had been around.

Passing out previous position beside the wall, we hopped over the wall and quickly made our way to the eastern wall, where the river flowed through the wall as Ra'qanar had promised.

Stepping into the water, I gave Amusei the staff, and rushed to the bars and dived in the water. It had been really cold as it had still been winter, transitioning into spring. Under water, I could see the bars that were bent wide, enough to squeeze through.

I squeezed myself through, struggling as the iron bars were pressed tightly against my ribs, then I gripped the bars with both hands and pushed, then my body went through. On the other side of the wall, I went up to the surface and inhaled for air.

I went back under and seen that Amusei had been already trying to hand me the staff through the bars, I took it, swimmed to the nearby grass and placed the staff down and got out the water.

I waited for Amusei, but moments passed, and I dived back in the water. Amusei was stuck, 'he would be'. I grabbed his arms and pulled, no luck, not even a budge, I pulled again, still didn't budge.

Once more, growing irritably impatient, I pulled again as hard as I could, I was able to hear Amusei scream and a bunch of bubbles flying to the surface, then I pulled him though. We met at the grass where the staff waited us.

"By the gods, Amusei, have you gain weight?" I asked him.

"Must be all the ale from Burg Gro-Kaash." He responded.

"Must be. Good thing you're an Argonian."

"Yes. Otherwise I would have drowned, though I cannot picture drowning."

"Methredhel's waiting, let's go home."

"Finally, more ale." Amusei said, I scoffed back in response while shaking my head.


	5. Business Alliance

Chapter five - Business Alliance

Middas, First Seed 1, 4E 0 - Dusk

"Cheydinhal on lockdown." I read the title of the new Black Horse Courier newspaper.

"I would read it, but I was already there. I know everything that's happened." I confirmed.

"Will you nail it on the wall next to the other newsletter?" Armand Christophe asked.

"Of course I will." I responded as I pressed the parchment against the wall, positioned a nail while still pressing with my hand, then hammered the nail in.

All of us stared at the wall, foreseeing the future full of newsletters because of the Thieves Guild.

"What will be our next target, Master?" Amusei asked as he sit at a table with a tankard half full of mead, I looked at him in wonder. I haven't been sure next of where to strike.

"I don't know, haven't decided." I responded.

After moments of thinking, and staring at the Black Horse Courier newsletter, I had reached a decision. "Maybe this week I won't be stealing from someone."

"What do you mean, Guildmaster?" S'Krivva asked. I waited a moment to respond, deciding how much information I should share.

"I will target something bigger this time, with the help of multiple thieves, but not this week, after." I said.

"After what?" Amusei asked.

"After I welcome 3 new members to our Guild."

Silence filled the room, everyone had been confused as they all gave looks to each other, until Methredhel decided to speak up. "3 new members? Who?" She asked.

"Hassiri, Ra'jiradh, and Urjabhi. Three Khajiit brothers, owners who operate the Black Horse Courier." I responded.

Everyone remained silent, both shocked and surprised, none spoke after.

* * *

Turdas, First Seed 2, 4E 0 - Nightfall

"Hurry up with that typing, Urjabhi!"

"I agree, hurry it up! We must have these printed tonight, then shipped out tomorrow morning!"

"I am going as fast as I can! How about you type for one day, Ra'jiradh!"

"I write it up for you to type, you know that!"

"Then Hassiri, you can type this."

"I do everything else. Manage all the papers, making sure everything is correct, and I am the one who delivers the copies to our couriers."

"That's not true, Hassiri, I do also. I am just as much a manager here at the Black Horse Courier."

Urjabhi, I never see you leave. You're always typing."

"Exactly! I'm never able to since I'm stuck in here!"

"Alright, since you're here most of the time you can clean around the room since there are always papers all over the floor."

"I can't! I'm always the one typing!"

I stood in the darkest shadow in the room, right before the stairs that led up to the second floor. For some time, I've been standing here watching while the three brothers fight.

I could stand here all day, I found it amusing to simply stand here as a shadow watching them all yell and fight all day. But after being here for a couple hours, perhaps I should get down to business.

The three brothers should have noticed me by now, especially since they're Khajiit's, they have a power of 'night eye' that enables them to see in the dark. Maybe they're truly too busy for their own good.

One wear a burgundy linen shirt with tan linens, the other in a forester's shirt with tan linens also, and the third on a type-writer wearing a brown shirt with blue silks.

"Greetings, gentlemen." I said aloud. The three of them were startled that their heads turned immediately in my direction, or towards the door.

"Whose there?" One called out.

"You may know me as the one who is master of all thieves." I said taking slow steps into the light to reveal myself. One of them looked terrified, the other looked bewildered, and the other gasped in shocked.

"The Gray Fox!" The one in the burgundy linen shirt said. "Have you come to steal from us too? Begone, thief!" He warned, seeming to have been the older brother, Hassiri.

"Oh, come on, let's be civil now, shall we?"

"Get out! Or I will call the guards!" Hassiri warned again.

"Why leave when you owe me thanks for your success?"

He stood confused. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about how lately you've been very successful in the latest copies of the Black Horse Courier, so successful that you've ran out of copies." I told him, then Hassiri looked down defeated.

He had known this to be true. "That's true, Hassiri. We have been overwhelmed. We may have to buy another typewriter." The one in the forester's shirt spoke out, his name must be Ra'jiradh.

"I agree. I've been working my fingers to the bone!" The brown shirt Khajiit sitting included, Urjabhi was his name.

"Be quiet, you guys! Plus, where are the funds of purchasing a new typewriter? We do not have that, be quiet!" Hassiri demanded.

"Why should they, when you know they are right, Hassiri?" I asked.

"You do not know me to use my name!" He fired back.

"Perhaps I don't, forgive me, but I did not come here to steal from you, but merely to make a business proposition."

"What kind of business?" Ra'jiradh asked.

"Well, it seems that the citizens have been obsessed with the most recent news. Cyrodiil has just discovered the Thieves Guild exists, everyone is so on edge and fearing for their possessions, that they've become obsessed with making sure they obtain a copy of the Black Horse Courier, even if it means they will be charged." I explained.

"That's right!" Urjabjhi called out. "We've never given out this much copies within a week!"

"Are you suggesting we charge the public for a copy? We can't, the Imperial Council pays us to keep us running in our business operations. We are contacted." Hassiri said.

"Buy yourselves out of the contact, then charge the public for every copy for 2 septims or 3, then maybe you'd receive wages higher than what the Imperial Council gives you." I suggested.

"I agree, perhaps we should do that, it wouldn't be much of a pricey sell, but with all the sales we make within a week, it's enough to cover our wages with interest." Ra'jiradh said.

"That's true, we'd be making more than the Council pays us, plus, we can get an extra typewriter!" Urjabhi pointed out.

"See, they understand. Do you, Hassiri?" I asked.

"Yes. What does this have to do with business with you, though?"

"Easy. We give you the news, you pay us for it." I said darkly.

"No! You're trying to scam us!" Hassiri disapproved.

"May sound that way from a misconceiving point of view, but no. What I am trying to compromise with you is if we give you the news to write about, you charge the public, you get paid more than the Imperial Council pays you, but I receive a 20% share for making it possible." I simplified.

All three Khajiit's remained silent. "I don't understand." Urjabhi spoke first, I sighed in irritation.

"Before I released the evidence that the Thieves Guild and I exist, you three worked hard for your money, hard enough only to be paid enough money to keep your courier in business along with bills and taxes paid. Nothing more, though. Since I robbed Farwil Indarys, you three have been working harder than ever." I explained.

"This is all so true." Urjabhi agreed.

"Yes and it is because of _me,_ I have set your business to a popular increase. I came here to point out who is behind your success. I've helped you earn something, popularity and business, now it's time I get something in return. I have said it before, I get 20% of your monthly shares for every copy you sell that relates to the Thieves Guild from this day forward."

The three brothers stood silent again. "He's right." Ra'jiradh said, Hassiri turned around quickly to face him.

"Don't you go agreeing with him! He's a thief! A criminal! I don't even know why I have not called the guards yet." Hassiri said,

"He's right, though. He's helped us increase our business so much that we don't even need to be paid by the Imperial Council to run our business, we may be contracted with them, but we can buy ourselves out. We can make our own money, Hassiri. You may think Mr. Fox is only here just to take money from us, but he's not, he's helping us. We have never had so many copies given out in a week! If we charge for every copy, think of how much sales we will make!" Ra'jiradh said.

"I couldn't agree more, this is a good opportunity for us, Hassiri." Urjabhi included.

"What do you say, Hassiri, we provide the news, and you sell it. You get good money, your brothers get good money, I get paid for doing the dirty work, you just print and sell it. Simple as that. What do you say, Hassiri? Partners?" I asked as I help out my hand for him to shake.

After several moments, Hassiri stood silent as he had been thinking, while his brothers had been nudging and whispering at him to shake my hand, but Hassiri wasn't sure. After Hassiri stared me into my eyes, I assumed he was close to making a decision.

"Alright." He took my hand and shook it. "Business partners." He said.

Then a smile stretched across my face as I shook his hand. "Capital!"

"20% of total sales of every month, right?" He asked.

"That is correct."

"Then we have a deal." Hassiri finally convinced.

"We will need to inform the Council though that we would like to buy ourselves out of the contract, and sell our own news." Ra'jiradh said.

"Yes we will. How much is it to buy ourselves out?" Urjabhi asked.

"25,000 septims. Something we don't have." Hassiri responded.

I couldn't believe I was gonna do this, but I believed this will work out. "I will do it."

All three looked at me in surprised. "I will buy you out your contract, as long as this business partnership is certain." I told him.

"Are you sure? That's a lot."

"Over time, I believe that I will get back the same amount." I said.

"Sounds assuring." Ra'jiradh said.

"I believe so. I shall have 25,000 septims delivered to you by tomorrow. I will have my assistants deliver a chest full tomorrow morning." I promised.

"Mr. Fox?" Urjabhi asked.

"Yes, Urjabhi?"

"Where will you be robbing from next? Just asking so we have a head start, sometimes it takes us a couple days to find the news, then a whole night to type it up."

"Good question. I can understand. From now on, I will direct you in the direction in where I will leave my note next." I said.

"So where will you be at next, who will you be stealing from?" He asked again.

"Next Middas, I will be stealing an item, and leaving the note, from every store here in the Market District." I promised as shocked expressions had been planted on all their faces.


	6. Farewell, Guild Brother

Chapter six - Farewell, Guild Brother

Loredas, First Seed 4, 4E 0 - Dusk

"Master?" Amusei asked after he knocked and cracked open the door.

"What is it?" I called back.

"You have three guests here to see you."

"Let them in." I stood up from my desk then turned around, walked to the center of the room, and waited.

A few seconds later, a Khajiit walked in, followed by two others.

"Ah, the Black Horse brothers. Welcome." I greeted them.

"A rather interesting label for us, I can agree with that." Hassiri said.

Before I left the Black Horse Courier a couple days ago, I had given the location where our Guild Hall is located. Pretty risky to give out the location of the Thieves Guild, but I knew I could trust the young Khajiit brothers.

"Quite an unexpected visit, how may I help you?" I asked.

"We have bought ourselves out of the contract, but the Imperial Council had been suspicious of us. Must have been wondering where we've gotten 25,000 septims from." Hassiri said.

"I seen it from within the look in their eyes that they believe we are up to something." Ra'jiradh included.

"That does sound like something to be concerned about, but the Imperial Council cannot file any warrant of arrest without evidential proof. You have nothing to worry about." I promised them.

"I hope not, we wouldn't want to be behind bars." Urjabhi said.

"There's no reason for you to be. You simply wanted out of the contract, to charge for your newspapers. I don't find any suspicion behind that."

"Me neither, that is our business." Hassiri included.

"It is, have you started the charges?"

"Yes, today. 2 septims per copy for the public. The citizens within the Imperial City were only too happy to buy." He said.

"How many were you able to sell?"

"Within the Imperial City alone? Over 50 today sold. Our couriers are selling in other towns. They will be here before sunrise to turn in the money from sold copies, then exchange with them a full bag more of copies."

"Sounds like everything is working out. Perhaps you could spread your business to other provinces." I suggested.

The three brothers stood silent, gave each other looks then turned their attention back to me. "We have not thought of that." Hassiri said.

"You have not? Oh, what money that will bring! You could expand your business within the lands of Tamriel. Perhaps, Skyrim? I hear their province is full of trade and business."

"That sounds like a great idea!" Urjabhi agreed.

"This will take some time to accomplish, though, traveling to and from Skyrim weekly. We will need to hire plenty more couriers." Ra'jiradh said.

"Yes. It would also be much more efficient to open a new Black Horse Courier in Skyrim. You would have your own newspaper here in Imperial City, and another home in Skyrim."

Urjabhi wide-eyed with enthusiasm. "That's another great idea! We would have two Black Horse Couriers!"

"A lot of time and money though. We should start our saving after we learn how much we will receive monthly from newspaper sales." Hassiri planned.

"Indeed." I said.

* * *

Sundas, First Seed 5, 4E 0 - Midday

Ongar the World-Weary lay tiresome in his bed, resting from the lack of energy that his body hsa permanently burdened upon him due to old age.

He had just finished fencing with a low-recruit thief from the Thieves Guild, probably the last time he will see him since he had fenced over 500 septims in value of stolen goods, the low-recruit will now move on to the next fence.

Ongar had been old and weak, had not a wife or family, just himself living in his small single-room shack in Bruma. Everyday, Ongar ate his meals at Olav's Tap and Tack, stayed there to lounge around, after that, come home and return to his bed.

Ongar let sleep overtake him, and now opened his eyes to view a perfectly structured home of sweet smelling scents. He felt comfortable on his king sized bed, but sat up, seen that his door had been left open and could hear voices of kids playing while the mother warned them to be careful.

Standing up, Ongar felt lively and completely full of energy. He gazed around his surroundings, in love with the comforts of his home.

He took steps forward, out his room, and then out the front door, joining with the small family as they played in the snow. He smiled as he looked upon the two kids playing, happy, and enjoying their youth.

Ongar also smiled as he looked to the beautiful, sweet smelling mother of the children as he approached behind her, wrapped his arms around her then kissed her head.

She turned to look at him then smiled back. "Hey you. Finally awake, now." The voice of what Ongar was sure to be an angel spoke to him.

"Yes, I am now. I missed the three of you too much to sleep longer." He responded.

She smiled more, then turned, wrapped her arms around his neck while he held her, and kissed him. Ongar felt as if he were lifted off his feet, levitating above ground as her angel wings kept them afloat.

He felt nothing else, no other touch or smelled no scent but hers. Feeling as if he had been glued to her, unable to break off, the kids interrupted calling their dad.

He and her had broke off to see their two kids running happily with big, bright eyes and huge smiles on their faces. Ongar had embraced both of them in his arms after kneeling down, and kissed the foreheads of his two girls.

Not long after, a loud roar interrupted and startled them as it had come from beyond the trees. Many birds have flown and left their positions in the trees, their nests, their homes, as another loud roar sounded.

Ongar's little girls became scared and pressing their weight to their dad as they stared into the trees. Ongar knew exactly the sound of what it was, he ran immediately back into his home, looking for a sword or boy and arrows, anything he can get to defend his family.

He grabbed a long spear that rested against a wall, then ran back out when he heard screams and another roar. His family had been twenty feet away as a gigantic brown animal full of fur neared them.

He ran to their side, stood in front of them, told them to move away, to go inside. They ran, and he held up the spear to point at the grizzly bear. Just a few yards away, the bear stood as it opened it's mouth wide revealing all it's sharp, long teeth and roaring again as saliva spitted out it's mouth.

Ongar kept his ground and pushed the spear forward then pulling back, attempting to scare off the bear, but it did not work. The grizzly bear strikes with it's claws at the spear and it had flown out of Ongar's hands to the ground a few yards away.

He looked at it, then to the bear, realizing he had no other weapon with him, completely defenseless. He had no choice but made the attempt while the bear drew closer to dive for the spear and grab it.

Once he did so, the bear moved in on him and raised it's claws again and struck him on the head. Ongar blacked out, his vision failed and all he could hear was the screams of his family, then nothing at all. Everything fell silent as he lay unconscious.

Ongar woke, his head stained with blood and pain throbbing at his skull, he sat up and seen that the bear had killed his family, and had been feeding from their corpses. He stared in horror, eyes filling up with tears then he let out a cry.

The bear turned and realized he wasn't dead, Ongar got up quickly and grabbed the spear. As the bear engaged him, he pointed the spear and the bear ran at him into it. The bear's body fell onto him and half of his body was trapped underneath it.

Struggling to move his body out from underneath the bear, he finally squeezed himself out. He rushed to his family after he got up, knelt down and cried as he looked upon the dead bodies of his family. He knew from that moment on, he will never live on his own separate from society again, never will live in the snow land of Skyrim again.

Ongar woke up to the door being slammed shut, and eyed a stranger he had not known standing at his door.

"Who are you? Get out of my house!" Ongar yelled out as he sat up.

"You must be Ongar, fence of the Thieves Guild." The man had said, Ongar silenced a moment then made his mind that this man was no member of the Thieves Guild.

"You have the wrong person, now get out or I will call the guards!" Ongar yelled as he stood up.

"No need to, your Guild will have justice, with vengeance." The man said darkly as he approached.

Ongar noticed there had been a tiresome look in his eyes as if he had not slept in months. The man neared closer, and next thing Ongar knew, the man had pushed him against the wall with a strong force of strength then bit him on his neck.

Ongar cried out, then struggled to push him off, he had panicked and fear had spread throughout his body. Then he felt even weaker than her ever had, feeling his life slowly fading away, the pain he felt moments before seemed to slow down and subside, then he decided to give up.

He was so tired even more than ever, struggling to stay awake, he closed his eyes and allowed his life to leave his body as he fell onto the bed, as his life had joined into the spirit world. Ongar will finally be able to reunite with his family.

* * *

Later that day...

A Khajiit man named Dra'haj entered the house of Ongar's to fence more stolen goods he had, he found that Ongar had been murdered, blood everywhere on the floor and his lifeless body on the bed.

Dra'haj had moved near Ongar's corpse, horrified from the sight of a dead body, a dead fellow brother. Dra'haj noticed plenty of blood that came directly from his neck that stained his skin and clothes.

Dra'haj noticed Ongar's eyes to be still open, but unseeing. He moved near, then used two fingers to close his eyes.

"Farewell, Guild brother. May you rest in peace." Dra'haj said then left Ongar's shack to alarm the city guard.


	7. The Funeral

Chapter seven - The Funeral

Sundas, First Seed 12, 4E 0 - Morning

'Citizen murdered in Bruma!' I read the title of the latest Black Horse Courier, for the thousandth time reading this to myself while sitting on my bed.

'On Sundas, First Seed 5, 4E 0, Ongar the World-Weary, a quiet, reserved, but friendly Nord elder man in the snowy city of Bruma, had been found dead in his home. A friend of Ongar had come to pay him a visit just as he found the body of Ongar. Immediately, his friend had alarmed the city guard of Bruma stating Ongar "has been murdered"! The Captain of the city guard has spent the next day afterwards performing a proper investigation on the death of poor old Ongar. The Captain has noted there was two bite puncture holes of a bite marked on his neck, the Captain concludes that this had been an attack from an animal of some sort. "He had been a nice, old man," said the innkeeper of Olav's Tap and Tack while being given an interview of his friends death. "Ongar would everyday come to my Inn and spent the most of his time there as he ate his meals and drank. I noticed also he was a very friendly person with several friends that came weekly to visit him, and with his death, it's hard to imagine if he had any enemies since hes always polite and friendly, not to mention living alone." Such a mourning tragedy this death had been to all the friends he had, also, to the citizens of Bruma as every resident had known him. Ongar had lived a long life, quiet, and responsible as he did not involve himself with any trouble. The Count and Countess of Bruma are conducting a funeral for Ongar, Sundas, First Seed 12, inside Bruma's Chapel for all his friends and any family he has to come. The funeral service will begin at Midday, all are invited to come and pay their respects to Ongar. Until then, be sure to be ready to receive your next Black Horse Courier copy of Cyrodiil's one and only newspaper, in a town near you.'

I threw the newspaper across the room, I placed my hands on my face, my cowl set aside on the bed. Ongar had been an important member of the Thieves Guild, had been honored and respected from all members.

He had been an original member for years, an expert thief, before retiring himself to become a Guild fence.

After hearing the news of his murder last Morndas, I postponed my plan of robbing the Market District at a later time as I spent the entire week mourning over him.

Ongar was among the first to meet when joining the Thieves Guild, he was the first fence everyone would be able to build a friendship with as he welcomed you to the Guild and fenced with you.

Such a loss this Guild has lost, the funeral would be in just a couple of hours from now, enough time for me to ride to Bruma and attend the funeral service.

All members of the Thieves Guild were going to be there, everyone here in the Guild Hall had already left. I stood up, walked to my wardrobe and changed my clothes into something casual.

A type of clothing to demonstrate myself as a low class person would be good enough, wouldn't raise any kind of suspicion. After I finished changing, I left my headquarters, leaving behind my gray cowl on the bed.

Midday...

I had arrived in Bruma, leaving behind my horse at the stables then I entered the city. I noticed the many paths that led to different sections of the city, it had been long since I've visited here, since I used to fence with Ongar.

It was cold, snow everywhere on the ground and on the rooftops of every building in the area, but the townspeople seemed to have been used to it nor bothered by the weather.

Next to the statue, due south of it, had been the great chapel of Talos. The doors were closed, I may have been a few minutes late. I approached the chapel, opened the doors to step in, to find many sets of eyes set upon me.

I felt quite embarrassed and uneasy with so much attention due to my late arrival, but I did the best I can to ignore it and took a seat in the last row.

Many had returned their attention back to the pastor who had been interrupted by my entering, while most wondered who I was as they murmured among themselves. I noticed after a few minutes while I looked at the back of everyone's heads that not some or a few, but all members of the Thieves Guild had been present.

Plus, some citizens of Bruma that had been friends with Ongar, or knew him, came to pay their respects. The funeral service had continued an hour, it had been a room filled with mourning.

I felt full of sorrow as I remembered all the times I had spent with Ongar, bugging him to sell more and waking him up while he slept.

Ongar had been a respected member of the Guild, and our loss of him will not go unnoticed. He had been murdered, by some kind of animal attack or someone who conjured up some scamp, and we will not sit and do nothing about it.

We aren't murderers, we will not kill anyone, but we do have ties with the Dark Brotherhood. I will need to gather information of Ongar's murder, speak with Arquen to after and find out who the suspect is.

In due time, I will find out who this murderer is no matter what.

At the moment the funeral had ended, I left back home. Still reminiscing of Ongar and I, I almost crashed the horse into a tree a couple times.

When I arrived to the Imperial City, going straight to the Waterfront, into the Guild Hall, then into my room upstairs. I laid down on my bed, my cowl had still been where I left it, I placed it back in it's right place on my head.

It seems that I had missed wearing it, I rarely took it off, I slept with it on at times forgetting I had still been wearing it. Wearing this gray cowl of Nocturnal has grown so much on me the past couple months that I sometimes I forget it's even on.

I stood up from the bed and changed into my shrouded armor, taking my time to put each piece on. I forgot how tight-fitted the armor had been, almost suffocating.

I forgot also, as the armor had reminded me, that in just a weeks time, I will need to ride with a couple associates to Fort Farragut and pay Arquen for our monthly Guild armor. Maybe that will be a good time to speak with her about Ongar's murder.

I headed straight back to my bed, my head had been filled with so much heaviness, I needed to sleep it off for a few hours. I hadn't slept much last morning anyways, or rarely slept at all this entire week.

As I laid out on my bed, and closed my eyes, sleep had taken me momentarily.

Nightfall...

I awoke realizing that my cowl had still been on, forgetting to take it off again. I heard voices downstairs, everyone must be back and Burg serving his customers.

I didn't want to show I had been depressed of Ongar's passing, and I wasn't, but I had been in my room all week and no one had bothered me since the news of Ongar's death. Maybe it was time to hear what they had to say.

I got up and went downstairs, the room had been a bit populated, many had been drinking to ease off their pain for Ongar, or just drinking to set the thoughts aside.

Armand Christophe and S'Krivva have of course been assisting fellow associates, giving them their next assignment. I'm glad I glad made a good difference within the Guild, to be able to stand here on the stairs and see that things were working out.

Also, to see we've been making a lot of coin, I may have to find a new location to store all the septims. I noticed Amusei drinking mead, Jair, J'Baana, Osleif the Open-Handed, and Carwen also sitting in their own seats drinking and chatting.

Amusei seemed to have noticed me standing on the stairs as he had stood up.

"Master!" He called out, then everyone in the room noticed me. I finished my last steps down the stairs then faced them.

"We hadn't seen you at Ongar's funeral, not in any shadow or corner. Did you attend?" He asked.

"Not with my cowl on, but yes, I was there." I responded, then he looked down, trying to figure out who I had been in a room full of people, or just trying to remember something.

Then his eyes widened as it clicked. "Oh! Master! I forgot, there is a fellow brother that would like to speak with you. He says he has information of Ongar's death." Amusei said, everyone looked at him.

"Go get him." I said immediately, then he nodded and left the room, stumbling a bit due to the alcohol in his system.

I went to the counter and ordered an ale from Burg, and brought it back with me as I sat next to S'Krivva.

"Anything to report? Forgive me for excluding myself this week, I had a lot of thinking to do." I said to her.

"Don't worry about it, Guildmaster. Armand and I have been running things fine, I also had moved out of Armand's house, just next door though after speaking with the lady in the Office of Imperial Commerce." She updated me with her news proudly and a small smile.

"Ah, thats great. I was thinking if you wanted to return to Bravil, you may. I was meaning to ask you about it, but I got distracted."

"Maybe a few weeks ago, I would have said yes. After staying here a month, I'm beginning to like the city life. I go into town every once in awhile, made some friends here, and I believe that moving here was a good idea. So thank you for taking me away from that boring town filled with smells of marsh and sewer along with skooma dealers." She thanked me.

"You're welcome, the city had never been such a big thing for me."

"I can understand, you're busy running a Guild. Maybe sometime you should go to the Arena and bet on a match." She suggested.

"Arena? We have an Arena here?" I was confused.

"Is that really a question? You have not known the Imperial City had an Arena? A Colosseum?"

"No, I hadn't." I admitted.

"You have got to get out once in awhile. You are too sucked up in your work, you're never out to enjoy a drink."

"Perhaps you're right. Maybe I should take a small vacation sometime, not wearing this gray cowl." I considered.

"Maybe you should." She said.

Before I could continue speaking, Amusei along with a Khajiit male, wearing the Guild armor also, had entered the room. The Khajiit seemed a little too excited as he approached on my presence.

"Master, this is Dra'haj. One of our Guild brothers." Amusei introduced him.

"Good day, Guild brother." I greeted him.

After I finished saying those words, the enthusiasm he held inside completely broke free.

"By the nine! The Gray Fox! Why sir, it is such an honor." Dra'haj said, I smiled back.

"Pleasure is mine."

"I am truly a big fan of you, Mr. Fox! The way you broke into the Imperial Palace and stole that elder scroll, complete masterpiece! So brilliant!" He adored. I laughed feeling a little flattered with his praise.

"Well, thank you, Guild brother. The task had not been easy."

"You truly are a genius, sir! I cannot wait to one day serve under your command ad Amusei here does." Dra'haj said, Amusei smiled, proud of his position of Assistant Manager.

"Maybe one day you will, Dra'haj. Now, I heard you have something to tell me?" I asked.

"Yes. Last Sundas, before dusk, I arrived to Bruma to fence with Ongar, to sell items I stole and to bring up my fence value. Once I knocked, I didn't hear him answer or open the door. I went to Olav's Tap and Tack since he has his meals there, and once I went inside, Olav said he's gone home earlier around midday after his lunch, that he usually would have been back to eat dinner an hour before I arrived." I listened to him closely, trying to picture his story as if I had been watching it.

"I went back to his home, knocked more, and louder, but nothing. I turned the knob a bit and noticed it wasn't locked so I went inside, then I find that there was plenty of blood all over the floor near his bed, and his body on the bed as if he had fallen onto it. I almost broke down in tears, I never seen a body that had been recently killed. I moved near him, and I noticed that all the blood didn't come from his body, legs, or even his head, but from his neck! I looked closer at it, and seen two dark deep red circular puncture holes. Ongar had been attacked from a bite, from his blood being sucked out. He was bitten, yes, but not from an animal as Bravil thinks." As Dra'haj drew near the end of his story, my heart began to pound a bit hard after finally understanding, after all of the confusion, the evidence had now been put together. Panic spread throughout my body, because Ongar wasn't simply killed by anyone, or anything.

"Ongar had been bitten and killed by a vampire." Dra'haj finished. S'Krivva gasped and Amusei froze in disbelief, everyone in the room remained quiet.


	8. The Market District

Chapter eight - The Market District

Morndas, First Seed 20, 4E 0 - Dusk

Yesterday, Amusei, Methredhel, and I rode to Fort Farragut to buy our monthly armor from Arquen. I have let her in on the news of Ongar's murder, she promised to keep an ear out for any more vampire murders, but for now, cannot do anything until we've gathered more information of the suspect.

Today, after a week of my plan bring postponed, I will continue with my robbing of the Market District.

"Guildmaster, you have a guest here to see you." S'Krivva said after she knocked then cracked the door open.

"Come in." I called back.

I stood up from my chair, Corvus Umbranox, Count of Anvil, the previous Gray Fox, had stepped in the room. This had truly shocked me, completely unexpected.

"Count Umbranox. Good to see you again. What brings you to the Guild Hall?" I asked as he walked straight to me, eyebrows down and seeming to be furious.

"WHAT are you doing here? I handed you my title and look what you've done, you've exposed the entire Guild, including yourself, from secrecy and then our fence had been murdered!" He yelled right in my face.

I felt completely, and easily defeated in guilt, realizing that this is my fault Ongar had been murdered.

"I trusted my position unto you, and you went and placed a BAR in the house of Dareloth, having people come in and out like some damn everyday-welcome event! Soon you'll end up finding a battalion of guards with your warrant of arrest walking in if you continue on a reckless road that you're leasing the Guild into!"

I did not speak, I had nothing to say. Corvus had been right, I'm not leading the Guild into a safe direction.

"I had been the Gray Fox for 10 years, and this is the reason why I did not expose the Guild or leak out any information, because it can endanger everyone in the Guild, especially the beggars. How do you know any one of the beggars at this moment are being violently interrogated and asking where the Guild is located?" Corvus said this in a lower tone, then silenced to let me speak.

"I don't know, perhaps someone is, but I entrust they wouldn't expose our location because the beggars are well kept for and we help them. And perhaps you're right, I took this position as Guildmaster unprepared, untrained for leadership, before you quickly abdicate as the Gray Fox and hand over your title to me without properly warning me or notifying anyone of your decision. I may not be the best at what I do, but I still do it. I have created more jobs for the Guild, gave our name some popularity for recruiting, and we stand now at over 50 members who are all dedicated and committed to what we have together. We work together, help each other, and on top of that, we are a family. There's members in this Guild that cherish the fact they've joined the Thieves Guild because it's the best decision any of us has made in our lives. I exposed the Guild, because why should we hide? Half of Cyrodiil believes there's a Guild, the other half didn't, until now, neither does anyone that's not with us knows of our location. Ongar's death had been a tragedy, but that doesn't mean anyone else outside the Guild knew he was our fence, it could've truly just been an untargeted vampire murder." I stopped for a breather, Corvus kept quiet and considered my side of the story, listening.

"I may have changed a lot within the Guild, but we're getting more coin that we've ever had, and lately, I've been planning to have a fence in every town of Cyrodiil. I'm not doing everything as wrong as you believe." I finished explaining, Corvus calmed down and thought for a little.

He didn't seem mad anymore, maybe I had proven myself?

"Alright. I see you may be right also. I trust in your leadership, Gray Fox." Corvus said.

"Good, because now that you're here, at a good time, I need you to help me with something."

"What do you need?" He asked.

"You, Fathis Ules, and I are the best thieves in the Thieves Guild. I need your help to rob every story in the Market District tonight." I told him this as it caught him off guard, and his eyebrows rose up.

"What? What are you planning? And why have you been leaving notes of where you steal from?" He asked.

"Legacy and immortality, Corvus, I'm planning to have our Guild remembered through history. To spread fear among Tamriel's citizens as they know our name. Also, I have made business with the Khajiit brothers of the Black Horse Courier, they now sell copies of their newspaper and in the past weeks, they have been selling hundreds weekly. The sales made under our name, 20% of it foes to us. We do the dirty work, they write it and sell it."

"So you have been busy." He said.

"Yes we have."

"What of this new armor color? Where'd you get that from?"

"The Dark Brotherhood. We now have monthly business with them. Completely safe, they're our allies." I said proudly.

"Good to know, smart to have some friends. Maybe they can help you with this murder."

"We're trying, until then, will you join Fathis and I tonight? You'd be perfect for the job."

"Alright. I am here for once, so may as well have a little fun tonight."

* * *

Tirdas, First Seed 21, 4E 0 - Midnight

"So. I have called upon you two since you both are my best thieves. There are 16 specific stores in the Market District. Building 1 has 5 stores, Building 2 &amp; 3 has 4 stores, and Building 4 has 3 stores. Which do you want to take?" I asked Fathis Ules and Corvus Umbranox as we sat in the bar at a table.

"I can take Building 1. I've been itching for some good thievery." Fathis volunteered first.

"I'll take Building 2." Corvus added.

"Okay, I will take Building 3. For the 4th Building, I'll find someone to do it, if not, I'll take it too. Fathis, Building 1 contains the stores Mystic Emporium, The Gilded Carafe, Slash N' Smash-"

"The Best Defense and Divine Elegance." Fathis interrupted me.

"Correct. Take these 5 parchments and steal whatever you want, something valuable that they'd miss, and replace it with the note. Make sure it can be found." I handed him the 5 notes.

"Will do, sir. If you don't mind, may I go right now? If there is nothing further to be said." Fathis sounded eager.

"Go ahead, take whatever you can hold, mainly the most expensive items."

"Yes, sir." Then he was off.

I turned my attention back to Corvus. "Building 2 contains The Three Brothers Trade Goods, Jensine's "Good As New" Merchandise, The Feed Bag, and Red Diamond Jewelry." I gave him 4 parchments as I explained to him.

"Sounds good to me. This should be fun." Corvus said then he stood up and left the Guild Hall.

I sat, looking at the parchments, 'looks like I'll. Be doing the rest tonight'. I stood up, turned around, and the Khajiit who informed me of Ongar's murder stepped into the room.

"Good evening, Guildmaster." Dra'haj greeted.

"Evening, Dra'haj."

"You remembered my name!" He said excitedly.

"Yes. I remember our talk. Say, how would you like to work for me tonight?"

"Yes, sir. I'll do anything!" He said enthusiastically.

"Very good."

* * *

I had assigned Dra'haj to rob the First Edition, A Fighting Chance, and the Main Ingredient. He gladly took this quest from me after I gave him 3 parchments, then I let him go. It was time for me to do my part, Fathis must be halfway done with his job.

The Imperial City had been very quiet tonight, no one was around at all. I'd find a few late-night wanderers, but no one in the Market District. I was able to catch Fathis or Corvus' aura, but no one else except guards standing their positions beside gates.

I had to walk through the city with my cowl off as no one knew who I was, then placed jt back on when I went into a alley on the outskirts of the Market District.

I unlocked the door to Stonewall Shields, went in, and noticed several armors in the store. 'Bad choice,' I thought since it would be unwise to steal armor while sneaking around, it would only give me more weight.

I had to steal something the owner would miss, something valuable and expensive, not just anything. I went up to his room, unlocked it, quietly entered as the room had been audible with loud snoring.

Immediately, I took notice of a chest. 'Perfect'. Unlocking it, I've found septims, a diary, and a gold diamond necklace.

I took them, no hesitation, shut the chest, then left the note on top of it.

I left to the next store, Edgar's Discount Spells, and found a few greater soul gems, took a few random scrolls and potions off the counter, then placed the note on the counter and moved on.

I cared less for that store, just needed to leave a note and go. Rindir's Staffs had been next on the list, I found this to be a little more interesting.

Rindir had staffs in big display cases, if I simply open one or two of them, take them, Rindir will most definitely notice. I tried unlocking one, but I wasn't able to, I actually broke a lockpick the first time in months.

'_Had my mastery picklocking just suddenly wore off? That couldn't be.'_

Then it hit me, and hard in the face as I should've guessed and never doubted my own lockpicking skills. The display case had a personal key that only Rindir has to it.

I went upstairs, entered his room, and approached him as he slept on his bed. I unlocked the bed-chest, took it's contents, and searched the room for anything else.

I found septims hidden here and there, bit nothing too special. So far, I had not come by a key, he must have it in his pocket.

Rindir slept silent, if he moved, there was a good chance he'd be awake since he made no noise, or even any heavy breathing.

I patted his only visible pocket as Rindir had been laying on his side, I didn't feel anything in his pocket.

'_Somehow, without waking him, I need to have him roll over on his other side.'_

Gently, I tried to pull his arm towards my direction to have him roll onto his back first, he wouldn't budge much, but I had to be careful, I didn't want to pull too hard.

After a few gentle slowly leading into hard pulls, he rolled over and laid on this back. I thought he'd awoken so I ducked down as low as I could beneath the side of the bed, but he hadn't moved any more.

I stood up, went to the other side of the bed, tried to pickpocket him but couldn't, so I grabbed his arm and crossed it over his body to meet with his other arm. Going to the other side again, I began pulling his crossed over arm so he could roll over.

I had to keep pulling over and over, I felt I was wasting time, I got impatient and pulled harder, he then pulled his hand back out of my grasp as it scared me thinking he woke.

I crouched low again to the floor, then he sneezed loud, disturbing all silence within the room, ringing in my ears. After a minute of waiting, I came to a conclusion that he must be asleep still.

I stood up, and found that he had already been rolled over to his side.

_'Finally, Nocturnal must've blessed me.'_ I pickpocketed him, took out two keys, then left the room.

I opened one case, took a staff, then left the note in it's place along with both the keys that I did not need or care to take.

Next, The Copius Coinpurse, which had been outside and right around the corner.

I seen a man walking past the building where I had been standing at, walking into the direction of the Elven Gardens District. Before he left into the district, he ducked down and picked something up from the floor, or set something down, then continued his way.

I believe he did notice me, but since I was in shadow, he may not known I'm the Gray Fox.

Fathis had been finished by now, and Corvus must be now or very soon, Dra'haj will most likely arrive back last when I go back to the Guild Hall.

I unlocked the door and stepped into the Copius Coinpurse, I looked around, potions, scrolls, flowers, books, and many other useless things had been all around the store.

Nothing here had interested me at all, this was just a merchandise store.

'_Whatever, just take anything so he notices.'_

I just took as much random things I could, left the note on his counter, then left back home.

* * *

"Ah, you're back finally." Fathis said as I walked in through the door.

"We've been waiting, and wondering when you'd show up."

I looked at them, all three of them were already back! Even Dra'haj had been, maybe I did spend too much time with Rindir.

"How long have you all been back?" I asked, noticing each of them had a tankard in front of them on the table.

"Quite awhile for me, Corvus arrived not long after, and then Dra'haj." Fathis said.

"Really? I must've spent quite a bit of time. How'd you do, Dra'haj?" I asked.

"It was quite easy, sir. Everything went well." He said and smiled.

"Well, that's good then. You've proven to be worth to assist me. Maybe I will call upon you again, sometime." I congratulated him.

"Thank you, sir! I will do anything you ask of me, Guildmaster." He responded enthusiastically, but a moment passed, and his face changed into a worried expression.

Silence stood between the four of us.

"Alright now, I'm gonna head to sleep at the Tiber Septim's Inn, then go back to Anvil tomorrow by noon. My guards await me at the Inn, probably worried I hadn't been back hours ago." Corvus finally spoke.

"Don't you want your pay?" I asked.

"No it's OK, I just wanted to do this for fun. Have a good night, everyone." Then Corvus Umbranox left.

"I'm tired too, have someone deliver my share tomorrow. I'm going back home. Night to you all." Fathis said.

"Have a good sleep. Thank you for assisting me tonight."

"Not a problem." He said, then was gone.

I looked at Dra'haj, who seemed worried still, expressionless.

"Dra'haj? You alright?"

He shook his head. "No, master."

"What happened?" I asked.

He was silent again, hesitating. "I seemed to have dropped one of the notes on the floor in the Market District, I didn't realize until I reached the last store. So I wrote one up myself, finished the job while I was inside the Main Ingredient, but as I left the store and heading back to the district from which I entered the Market, someone had been following me in the Elven Gardens. I looked back, and the man was holding the note I dropped from when I entered the Market District, I know cause he held it up to show me, like he...knew what I was doing tonight." Dra'haj said.

This sounded quite suspicious to me, sounded like this man knew what was happening tonight. I can't be sure though, maybe he held the note up to show him he dropped it?

"Was he following you to tell you what you dropped?" I asked.

"No, more like, he was showing me that he has it, bu in no way trying to call after me to give it back. He just followed, and when I got to the Waterfront, I turned back to see him again, thinking he would have stayed in one of the districts, but he was still following. I ran the rest of the way back to the Guild, leaving him near the docks. I think...he knows I'm part of the Guild, and now, he may know that the Waterfront is home to the Thieves Guild." Dra'haj said, and I remained frozen in disbelief.

Someone out there, whoever this person is, now knows where we are.


	9. Traitor

Chapter nine - Traitor

Sundas, First Seed 19, 4E 0 - Afternoon

Hiding in the shadows while inside the walls of Anvil castle, a restless man stay watching as a Redguard blacksmith forges new weaponry, and he waits for his opportunity to finally step into the light to perform an act of vengeance.

From inside the room, he can see that the Redguard had been so busy at work he never took notice of him sitting in the shadows.

No one else had been inside the room, so he had decided to not wait any longer. Count Umbranox had left a couple hours ago on business terms to the Imperial City, which left his blacksmith unprotected, and alone.

He stepped out of the shadows, walked towards the Redguard, sneaking up from behind him. As he drew closer, he opened his mouth to reveal long, sharp fangs, but the blacksmith turned around and then he closed his mouth.

"Oh! You startled me. You lost, sir?" The Redguard asked.

"No, I found what I was looking for." He responded as the Redguard realized he meant he was looking for him.

"I'm sorry, have we met? Do I know you?"

"No."

"What is your name? Maybe I can help you, you look awfully tired. My name is Orrin, I can find you a bed." Orrin offered.

"Theranis is my name. I didn't come for a bed, I came here for you."

Orrin took this to be quite strange, but did not forget to keep a professional attitude.

"Well, Theranis, is there anything I can help you with?"

"Yes, to send a message to your Guildmaster, the Gray Fox." He said, then Orrin's eyes widened, feeling that his other life that had been in secrecy had now been exposed.

Theranis moved closer and bit Orrin on the neck, Orrin screamed out in pain, struggling and panicking as Theranis held a forceful grip on him as he sucked out his blood from his neck. Orrin kept screaming as the pain of the burning bite intensified and became excruciating.

Theranis kept sucking the blood out from Orrin's vein on his neck, and as Orrin began the slowly give up his struggling fight until he stopped completely, Theranis let go of him and let his body fall to the floor.

Theranis looked down at his dead body, "tell your leader I will kill every Thieves Guild member one by one." He said to Orrin's corpse, then left the room.

* * *

Morndas, First Seed 20, 4E 0 -Midnight

Theranis had decided to find the whereabouts of the Thieves Guild fence, Fathis Ules, as he had been the next target on his list.

It wouldn't take Theranis very long to find out where in the Imperial City he lived, he had all the time in the world, since he had been immortal.

Theranis had no intention of feeding on Fathis tomorrow night, or the night after, not until he was thirsty again.

Once Theranis reached the Imperial City, he strolled around through every district, getting to know the city and the districts.

There was no way in telling what house could be the home of Fathis Ules, and Theranis did not want to search every home in the city to find which one was his, so he decided to lay low for now.

Theranis exited a district, and wandered through the Market District, every once in awhile he would see someone exit the Feed Bag and walk in their direction back home, but Theranis didn't make out Fathis of any one who had passed.

_'Fathis Ules was a Dunmer who wears a black and burgundy outfit',_ Theranis reminded himself to be sure of who to look for.

After spending some time wandering through the Market District, he turned and began walking, and noticed a black figure in shape of a man with a helmet on frozen as he stood against a shaded wall. Theranis looked at him, but thought nothing of it and headed east to the gate leading into the Elven Gardens District.

Before entering through the gate, he seen a man going through, so he walked that direction and noticed a small parchment on the floor, thinking that the man exiting the district may have dropped the note.

He picked it up and continued walking, and read it. 'The Gray Fox! That blasted liar and traitor! I will find where he is, and kill him.' He thought.

He entered the Elven Gardens District, and in the distance he could see the man walking. Theranis assumed he must have been the one working for the Gray Fox since he had not been wearing the gray cowl that the Fox wore, so he decided to follow him.

Theranis seen that the man, which turned out to be a Khajiit, looked back a few times to notice he was being followed.

Theranis slowed his pace, but eventually followed him to the Waterfront, then when the cat looked back again, he noticed he was still being followed, then took of running, and Theranis stopped where he was.

_'I'm guessing this thief of the Guild must be going to see Armand Christophe, but there is no reason for me to follow a thief, I will continue searching for Fathis Ules tomorrow.'_

Theranis left back into the city, with his intention to rent a room in an inn, and ended his night there, without falling asleep.

* * *

Morndas, First Seed 20, 4E 0 -Midday

knock, knock, knock.

The knocks on the door woke me while I had been sleeping, my eyes felt glued shut, I had been tired. I forced them open, and sat up, and placed my cowl on my head.

knock, knock, knock.

"I'm coming!" I called out, then I stood up and lit a few candles to bring light within the room. I opened the door to see Amusei standing before the door.

"Master, forgive me for disturbing you." He said.

"What is it?"

"Corvus Umbranox has come back to speak with you."

"Let him come up." I said then turned away, leaving the door open, and lighting more candles in the room to have full illumination.

I turned, and Corvus entered the room. "What can I help you with, Count Umbranox?" I asked.

"Orrin is dead! I woke up this morning and prepared to head back to Anvil, and one of my riders came rode from Anvil to tell me Orrin had been murdered!" He said in an angry tone.

"What? How?!"

"You tell me! You exposed us all, look at the consequences you've brought on the Guild. This is why I did not reveal any sort of information that the Guild exists!" Corvus said.

"No, this cannot just happen. I may have gave out our secrecy, but I did not give out anyone's name and location! This cannot just happen! Unless-" I paused, and then it snapped into my brain. How could I not have noticed this entire time? It was right in front of my face.

"Unless, we have a traitor within our Guild." Corvus finished. "This wasn't a mistake all along, someone knows all the locations, or some, maybe all, members of the Thieves Guild. And this someone is targeting the most important members in our Guild, the fences are in danger."

Corvus is right, Ongar was murdered over a week ago, and this week, Orrin. That's two of our fences gone, someone in our Guild is a traitor. Someone in our Guild is conspiring against us!

"You're right! Someone is killing our members, one by one, starting with the Guild's fences!" I said.

"Yes. You're gonna have to find out who this is before more members in our Guild are killed. Anyone in the Guild could be the traitor, even your most trusted associates." Corvus warned.

"I will. Perhaps the beggars can help me out."

"Perhaps. Find out who, I've got to return back to Anvil. Let me know if you've learned anything." Corvus said as he turned away then left, I caught the door as Corvus was about to shut it.

"S'Krivva! Armand!" I called out my door.

I turned and sat down at the nearest chair, both Armand and S'Krivva walked in the door.

"Yes, Master?" Armand asked.

"We have a traitor among us. Last week, Ongar had been murdered, and yesterday, Orrin was murdered also." I told them.

S'Krivva gasped, Armand shook his head in disbelief looking down, and formed his lips in a hard line.

"We don't know who is the traitor, or who is a vampire, but this someone is killing our Guild brothers. Our fences are in danger, and we must get them to safety. Get a few volunteers for who will watch over the fences, make sure they are discreet though and not seen. If the fences don't know they're being watched in the shadows, neither will this vampire."

"I thought vampires can see in the dark?" S'Krivva asked.

"They can, only if they really want to though."

"Shouldn't we warn them though?" Armand asked.

I thought for a moment before giving an answer. "No. They'll find out by the Black Horse Courier. We don't want to raise panic neither. We have to handle this professionally, and the way to do that, we sit and watch."

"Understood, sir. I will have a few members watch over the fences in their homes." Armand promised.

* * *

A few hours later...

"Master?" Amusei asked after he knocked then cracked open the door.

"Yes?" I called back, then he came inside the room with Methredhel and Dra'haj.

"We'd love to volunteer."

"That's great." Then I stood up. "Our fences are in danger, but they don't know it yet. I expect soon this traitor will strike soon, I want all of you to make sure you keep an eye on your fences. Whether you are hiding inside their house and keeping a constant eye on them while in the shadows, or outside overlooking the house, I want you all to watch and see who this traitor, this vampire, in our Guild that is killing his brothers! Do not, I repeat, Do Not engage this vampire. He will be very strong, and you will be as good as dead along with your fence." I said to all of them, they all nodded.

"Amusei, you go and watch over Fathis Ules. He stays here in the Imperial City. Either stay outside but remain unseen in public as you overlook his house, or sneak inside and make sure Fathis doesn't know he's being watched, but for his safety. I suggest all of you to remain inside to have a better view. Methredhel, watch over Luciana Galena, in Bravil. Dra'haj, find Dar Jee, an Argonian, and second fence in the Thieves Guild. He lives in Leyawiin. Now go, don't come back until you find out who this traitor is. Take food and drink if you have to, Methredhel and Amusei, you don't know how long you'll be waiting." All had nodded then left.

_'Hopefully, neither one of them will get killed also.'_


	10. Identity Discovered

Chapter ten - Murder Witness

Middas, First Seed 22, 4E 0 -Midday

Theranis had stayed at the Merchants Inn in the Market District, over the past couple days, Theranis hard tried blending in and making some friends, talking to people while showing his friendly side.

His stomach started to clench and pain him with the urge to vomit, he had drank water in front of a friend, to disguise himself as human, and also hoping his blood thirst would ease off a little, but received no satisfaction from it.

Theranis met a few people on the streets in the Market District, speaking to them with rumors and other topics, eventually after awhile, he started asking questions of Fathis Ules and where he stay.

Some weren't able to give him any good news, but one did tell him what district they had remembered seeing him in as they passed through; The Elven Gardens District.

Leaving the Market, Theranis walked around and asked more of him. He hadn't been too lucky, though.

Strolling through the streets more, Theranis caught sight of a Dunmer male wearing a black and burgundy outfit entering a house. This immediately caught his eye, and was positively sure that hes found his target.

Theranis knew Fathis Ules had been a fence, but had never fenced with him when Theranis was in the Thieves Guild. The light of day had been bright, and started burning his face as he walked the streets of the Elven Gardens.

Theranis remembered his last dream, the last time he slept, when he woke up screaming from a nightmare of his parents' corpses burning on the wall.

Theranis could stay awake forever if he wanted to, but even sometimes he gets bored laying in bed with nothing but his thoughts to entertain him.

Now that he had known where Fathis stayed, he decided to wait until night to eliminate his target.

* * *

Turdas, First Seed 23, 4E 0 - Midnight

Theranis moved swiftly and quick around corners through the district after a city guard had turned away. Standing now at the front door of the home of Fathis Ules, he pulled out a lockpick and began picking.

Before, when Theranis was a low thief recruit in the Guild, he had not the skill to pick even an average lock, but now he had been an expert level lock-picker.

The door had been equipped with with a master lock, and it took more than a few broken picks to open the door, but once Theranis unlocked it, he opened the door slowly and shut it silently after entering.

He scanned around the living room, all had been motionless and still, graveyard silent with dimmed lights.

_'Fathis must still be asleep.' _He thought.

He moved around the room, moved near the staircase and went up where he found a door. He picklocked it then entered to find Fathis asleep on his bed, Theranis moved closer to the edge of his bed and stared down at him.

"Tonight, you die." He said darkly in a low voice.

Immediately, Fathis woke up and jumped out of bed. He casted some Alteration spell that lit up around his hand and formed into a circular cylinder with his body in the middle, the form of white light shielding him.

Then he conjured a scamp and pulled out a silver dagger, the scamp raced around the double bed, Theranis stood ready and gave a strong punch to the scamp's skull as it flew across the room to the wall.

While distracted, from behind, Fathis had striked with his dagger but in a split seconds time, Theranis caught the blade. Immediately, he released his hands as the silver blade burned his hand with an excruciating pain. Theranis cried out and held his hand as he backed away.

Fathis striked again, but Theranis dodged out of the way. Fathis kept striking, swinging his minor blade left and right, missing as Theranis moved out of the way.

Theranis caught his wrist when he striked again, twisted it and snapped his bone. Fathis cried out in pain and the blade fell out his hand, then Theranis punched him in his gut as Fathis bent over to hold his stomach.

Not a moment after, a flame hit Theranis as he threw his head back and cried out in an agonizing pain, the fire caught on him a little and burnt him, but the fire soon subsided.

He looked back and the scamp was beginning to throw another fireball at him, but jumped out of the way as it hit the wall.

The scamp came running and used it's claws to strike, but before it's attack can hit, Theranis quickly met the scamp's adrenaline with a kick to it's chest as it flew back to the ground.

Fathis had jumped on Theranis from behind and wrapped his arms around his neck, Theranis struggled a little to get him off but threw his weight back at the wall behind then two times then Fathis fell off.

The scamp was beginning to throw another fireball, but had served it's time-limited purpose and retired back to Oblivion.

The dagger that Fathis had dropped remained on the floor, and immediately he tried to grab it before Theranis kicked it away beyond his reach.

Fathis looked up and met the eyes of Theranis, then he straightened his back to the wall as Theranis took steps towards him.

"Now, you die here." Theranis said darkly as Fathis stared up into his eyes with fear.

* * *

_'By the nine, what do I do, what do I do! Master ordered me to stay hidden, but Fathis, he's gonna die!'_ Amusei had said in his thoughts as he struggled to make a decision on how to act.

He watched the entire fight in the darkest shadow of the room, hidden and panicking, over his urge to help Fathis. The Gray Fox had warned him if he got involved, he would be dead too.

Amusei couldn't continue watching, after Theranis had kicked the silver dagger away, Fathis tried to give a final fight with hand-to-hand combat as a last resort, that didn't end well for him, especially since his wrist is broken.

Theranis bit him and Fathis had been screaming in pain, Amusei could do nothing but sit there helpless. Amusei ducked his head in his knees and covered his head after he sat on the floor.

He didn't want to see any more, so he shut his eyelids tight. Amusei had to sit and wait for Theranis to leave, and after, he will leave to tell the Gray Fox. There was one thing Amusei did know, Theranis had been a previous Thieves Guild member.

* * *

After Theranis bit and fed off of Fathis sucking out his blood till he became cold and dry, Amusei approached the body, tears started running down hard skin, then he ran back to the Guild Hall.

Amusei barged through the Guildmaster's door without knocking.

"Master!" He called out.

A man stood in the room, a stranger to Amusei he had not known, but was wearing the Guild's shrouded amrour.

Amusei stood still and stared at the stranger as he looked back at him, then the stranger turned around, picked something up with both hands from the table, and placed it on his head.

He turned around again, it was the Gray Fox. Amusei didn't think, didn't move, he had just seen who the man under the mask is.

An Imperial man with short black hair, and a face that had served it's years, starting to grow old. He had been before his middle age, but still appeared to be quite young.

"This is why you knock, Amusei." He said, Amusei looked down and felt guilty.

"Forgive me, Master. I won't tell a living soul of what I had just witnessed."

"Good. I trust your word. Now, why did you just barge in? Why aren't you at your station?" He asked, but hadn't connected the dots.

He ordered Amusei not to come back unless he found out who the traitor in the Guild was, and now that he was here, The Gray Fox still hadn't know why.

"Master, Fathis is dead." Amusei said mournfully.

"What! No, this cannot be!" He slammed his hands down on a table and kicked a chair off it's legs to the floor.

"I'm sorry, Master. Fathis had been another important member in the Guild we lost. I really wanted to step in and help, but this vampire, he had such strong strength."

After a moment's time, the Gray Fox had calmed down a bit. "You followed orders, good. Did you see who this traitor is?"

"Yes. He's...well, he's supposed to be dead."

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"Months ago, before my second attempt joining the Thieves Guild, I had been a prisoner in Skingrad for petty thievery on my own. In that dungeon, there were two other inmates in their own cells, a Nord, and a Breton man named Theranis."

_'As he explained, this had rang a bell. I had been the one to free Amusei from being killed that day.'_ The Gray Fox said in his thoughts.

"Theranis had been part of the Thieves Guild before, and he had been arrested for stealing a book he was ordered to retrieve from a wizard in Skingrad. The book was called Lost Histories of Tamriel, he bragged about it in a tavern as he was drinking, and a guard overheard him. In the dungeon, we were being taken from the Pale Lady, who was a vampire used us for advantage and fed off of us. She'd feed on us, then return us weak and frail, by the time she took Theranis a third time, he had not returned. I was next, she came for me, and I was bleeding and put up a struggle. I left blood all over the floor as she dragged me to a room where another cell had been and I was thrown in there. I seen the body of Theranis on the floor, he had bled out, and I was sure he was dead cause he didn't breathe or even move. An hour later, a good friend of mine that served with Thieves Guild came to free me and also came looking for the book. Theranis had told me where it was before he was arrested, so the Pale Lady had been killed when he came to rescue me. That was it, I was sure Theranis had been dead, but he must have been turned into a vampire." Amusei finished.

"This makes perfect sense now, Theranis is killing members in the Thieves Guild because he felt that we betrayed him, abandoned him. He must have found out by the prisoner Nord that someone came for the book, and not him, and also freed you."

"Exactly, Master. One thing still bothers me though..." He said in thought.

"What is it, Amusei?" He wondered for a moment.

"I wonder what happened to that person that freed me. He's freed me more than once from being behind bars. After the Gray Fox, you, had needed him to break into the Imperial Palace and steal that elder scroll, he disappeared. Did he leave the Guild? It's been months since I've seen him."

'_Amusei really seemed to have grown a real friendship with him. What he didn't know is that person is me. He can't recognize my face with my cowl off because of it's curse.' _ The Gray Fox thought.

Corvus Umbranox had revealed his identity to his wife, after 10 years of his face being stripped from recognition. He decided if he should reveal to Amusei who he really is behind the mask.

"Amusei."

He picked his head up from staring at the floor. "Yes, Master?"

After Amusei asked, the Gray Fox removed his gray cowl and set it in the table, and looked into Amusei's eyes.

"That man, who freed you multiple times from prison, who stood beside you and Methredhel as we all raced to steal the diary of Amantius Allectus, is me. The gray cowl of Nocturnal has a curse, to strip the identity from ones face."

Amusei gasped and widen his eyes as he had finally remembered.

"By the nine, how-.. but you were serving the Gray Fox."

"Yes, I was. The last Gray Fox stepped down, gave his leadership title to me. I took it improperly without deciding, and look now, our fences, our Guild, is in danger."

Amusei stepped forward. "Master, you have done so much for all of us. You have made this Guild into what I now consider my home, filled with members I consider family. We owe you so much in return, and we will all take that to our graves to repay it." Amusei said, as he felt the hand of the Gray Fox placed on his shoulder.

"I know, but before that happens, we will need to dispose of this threat, before it gets any worse." He said.

"How will you do that?"

"Did you forget we have friends? I'm gonna send the Dark Brotherhood to Theranis, they will take him out." He promised. Amusei smiled.


	11. Luciana Galena

WARNING: This chapter contains text that can be visualized in graphic violence and brutality. If anyone is uncomfortable reading graphically violent scenes that are described in detail involving bloodshed and gore, DO NOT continue reading. Thank you. -Elderfan

Chapter eleven - Luciana Galena

Loredas, First Seed 25, 4E 0 - Midday

_'After killing Fathis 2 days ago, immediately I left the Imperial City and headed to Bravil to find the next fence; Luciana Galena. I've taken out 3 fences, and now I have 2 left to go. Bravil had been a small town, so it would be easy to find her.'_ Theranis thought.

Bravil is a squalid town located on the banks of the Niben Bay, the Larsius River passes through and wraps around the town, as the Green Road curves around it.

Bravil is described as one of the poorest towns in Cyrodiil; houses are built like shacks, being wooden and stacked upon each other, Skooma had been quite popular in the town, and the Larsius River that runs through the town serves as Brazil's sewers.

Upon entering the town, the climate had been damp due to the surrounding swamps and marshes, along with the Niben Bay's shore. Theranis didn't seem to like it much being here.

All Theranis had known about Luciana is that she is a Breton woman who has her own house, wore a lower class clothing consisting of a coarse linen shirt, coarse linens, and a pair of clogs.

He knew nothing of where she stay, or where in the town she is. So he started with the one place where all rumors are told, the Inn.

Theranis entered inside the closest Inn near the entrance, Silverhome-on-the-Water, and upon entering, Theranis noticed a couple people sitting and chatting.

Theranis passed them, and sat in front of the bar where a man who had been an Altmer and seemed to be the Innkeeper, stood behind the counter.

"Gilgondorin. Silverhome-on-the-Water has beds and food. What's your pleasure?" He said.

"Tell me a little of Bravil." Theranis responded. Gilgondorin's facial expression didn't show any satisfaction, more like disgust.

"Have you looked around? Bravil is Tamriel's cloaca. Silverhome is the only decent place in town. Don't know why I stay here."

"Sounds like you don't want to live here. Do you know of a woman named Luciana Galena?" Theranis asked.

"Word on the street has it that Luciana is quite antisocial and barricades hersel in her house all day long."

"Do you know where she lives?"

"Unfortunately not. You look awfully tired, I got a free bed, perhaps you would like to have it for the night for a mere 20 coins?" He offered.

"No, thank you. Good day."

"Until then."

Theranis stood up from the high-chair, and walked near the other two men whispering in low voices, he listened as he decided they must had been rumoring.

"I don't think Gilgondorin wants to run Silverhome-on-the-water. He never seems happy when he's there." A Dunmer male said.

"He doesn't seem particularly happy, I think he'd rather spend his time painting." The other man said, who was a Breton.

"I heard he'd rather be a painter. Still, he runs the place well."

"Gilgondorin inherited Silverhome from his parents. I understand he only runs it out of a sense of duty."

Theranis wanted to hear no more, Gilgondorin had his own rumors under his own roof, none of Luciana. Theranis decided to hear what the citizens on the streets had to say.

He left Silverhome, and began walking about, he had seen two women out on the street next to the Lucky Old Lady statue. One had been an Argonian, and the other an Imperial.

He approached them both, they had already been in a conversation. "Hello."

"Good day." The Argonian woman said.

"Hello there." The Imperial woman said, who may be a beggar.

"Do any of you know of Luciana Galena?" He asked.

"She tends to keep to herself, that's for sure. That's too bad." The Imperial spoke first.

"Is something wrong with Luciana Galena? She rarely leaves home." The Argonian asked.

"I hear she's a very private person. I also heard she knows a lot about using light armor."

"Oh, that's interesting." Theranis said.

"She doesn't leave home much, but apparently Luciana Galena has a lot of experience fighting in light armor." The Imperial said to him.

"I've got that, thank you." Then started walking away.

_'It seems like this Luciana is very reserved. There are many homes here in Bravil, not to mention the Inn's. I'm not about to go search every room in the town, I'll try the next Inn.'_ He said to himself in his thoughts.

Theranis walked past the statue towards the Great Chapel, turned left, and caught sight of another Inn down the road. He approached it and read the sign, _'The Lonely Suitor Lodge'_.

Theranis entered in, and almost walked into a woman after taking a few steps inside.

"Hello, stranger. Luciana Galena. I'm Bravil's Advanced Trainer for the Light Armor discipline." She said.

_'Perfect. Just the right woman I was looking for. Rumors must be false then since she's not in her house.'_ He thought.

"Good day, ma'am." He responded.

He walked past her and she sat down on a chair near the door, and started eating.

Theranis sat down at another table, he drank a couple tankard's of ale, but waited the entire time for Luciana to go home as he kept an eye on her.

She seemed have worked here at the lodge, or been a volunteer, which must explain the false rumors that no one ever seen her.

* * *

Sundas, First Seed 26, 4E 0 - Midnight

Theranis left the lodge and waited at the steps of the chapel an hour before Luciana had left. He watched her and followed her slowly behind as she had led him to her home, at a second story shack.

She went inside, Theranis decided to wait longer for her to fall asleep, then he'll pay her a visit. He wait half an hour, then took his steps up the stairs to the second floor.

Theranis spent a couple moments to unlock the door, then slowly opened it. He entered inside and eyed around the living room.

Her small house, which was situated on top of the house for sale, had one small room. One part has Luciana's bed and the rest has a dining table with chairs, bookshelves, barrels and a cupboard.

She has two leveled chests, one beside the bed and the other against the wall opposite the door.

Theranis went inside the bedroom, seen that Luciana had been sleeping on her bed, then he walked to the side of her bed.

He pulled out a dagger from his side, held it as it faced downwards, and rose his arm high, ready to stab her.

At that moment, something flew past his sight and it pierced into his wrist as he screamed out. He dropped the dagger to the floor, and cried out in pain.

Luciana woke up and immediately stood up on her side of the bed. Theranis turned his attention to the door which stood a Bosmer woman who held a bow and was drawing her next arrow.

She wore a black hood, and her entire outfit had been black and red with studs on it. An Imperial man rushed in, wearing the same outfit, and strikes at Theranis with his short sword.

Theranis dodged out the way, picked up the dagger when he ducked, and defended himself as the man attacked.

Another man, a Breton, same outfit, had entered the room on Luciana's side of the bed and started casting spells throwing a fireball.

Theranis had to move very quickly and ignore his pain as he had to dodge the fireballs, while defending himself from the swordsman. Luciana stood there confused and unsure of what to do, then Theranis noticed an Argonian man came running in the room.

Theranis let the swordsman swing, until the man swung a little too far away, then Theranis stabbed him in his gut, and kicked him away as he fell to the floor.

Theranis looked to see who the Argonian was since he had been dressed in a full black leather armor.

"Come on, Luciana! Let's go!" He said as he grabbed her arm and pulled.

"Amusei, what's going on here? Who are these people?" She wondered.

Theranis heard her say his name and immediately his memory clicked. He remembered him to be the same prisoner he spoke with months ago in the Skingrad dungeons.

Theranis picked up the short sword quickly as he ducked beneath another fireball, and took steps towards him. The Breton man threw another fireball and it hit Theranis, he yelled out in pain as the fire burnt him worse than it would burn any normal human since he had a weakness to fire.

The archer fired an arrow as it pierced him in his side, then the wound seemed to burn his entire body as he realized the arrows she used were enchanted.

Theranis stepped back, dodged arrows and fireballs, then the Breton conjured a flame atronach, and he knew at that moment he was in real trouble.

Before the flame atronach could attack, Theranis charged forward ar the Breton and held the sword with two hands and sliced at him as he decapitated the man's head off and it fell to the ground.

The flame atronach was immediately sent back to Oblivion, and then he turned to the archer, she began walking backwards and firing another while he dodged again.

He ran straight at her but then an arrow struck him in his stomach after she fired, he cried out but while in adrenaline, tackled her to the floor. While on top of her, he began choking her until her face started changing colors.

At that moment, Theranis felt something sharp stab through his leather armor and into the flesh of his back. He released his hands off her and he threw his head up and straightened his back to cry out in pain.

He realized that he forgot to kill the swordsman he left in the room, but not only that, he left the dagger in there with him. The Bosmer had been coughing and she moved away. Theranis felt completely immobilized, he looked down and seen the short sword laying on the ground next to him. Theranis tried to reach with his hand but couldn't move his body forward, then he cried out even more in an excruciating pain as he felt the blade in his back starting to twist and cut through more flesh inside of him.

He felt completely weak, and decided to suck it up, he made a fist, then swung around his elbow as it had implanted at the Imperial man's face. The Imperial let go of the dagger that was in Theranis' back, and he stood up, picked up the short sword, then stabbed it through the heart of the Imperial man.

The Bosmer woman had still been coughing and she tried getting up, Theranis noticed and quickly picked up one of her fallen arrows and as she got up and stood straight, he jabbed the arrow in her from underneath her jaw leading straight up to her brain then it came out from the top of the skull of her head.

Blood started coming out her neck, and he just let her go and fall down. Theranis returned his eyes to the Imperial man, he held the blade with one hand as he lay there dead, eyes open, but unseeing.

Theranis backed away, assuring himself that the fight is over, and felt something that had been itching in the back of his brain. It started to annoy him, so he started to wonder why and think, after a moment, he remembered.

He remembered that Amusei came in to take Luciana away with him._ 'So he's with the Thieves Guild now.'_ He thought.

He looked at the dead corpses and realized the Thieves Guild may not be his only enemy now.

_'Amusei was his name, I can remember those reptile skin colors and horns from anywhere. And these assassin's aren't with the Thieves Guild. Looks like they've got friends, perhaps it's time now that I go and make my own new friends.'_ He planned, then he left Luciana's house.


	12. Taking Baby Steps

Chapter twelve - Taking Baby Steps

Sundas, First Seed 26, 4E 0 - Morning

_knock, knock, knock_.

"Who is it?" I called behind me to the door, I had been sitting at my study, awaiting, but worried, at the news of the ambush.

Plenty of thoughts scrambled through my head, such as, what if Luciana and Amusei both get hurt? What if they don't come back? What if Theranis hadn't been killed?

I only hoped Theranis had gone to see Luciana because if he had gone to Dar Jee in Leyawiin first, that would have ruined our ambush plans. I figured Theranis would go to Bravil first since it is before Leyawiin, let's see what happens.

The door had cracked open, "Guildmaster, you have a couple visitors." Armand Christophe noted.

"Send them in." I said, I got up and walked to the center of the room.

Amusei and Luciana Galena had stepped in, I had been relieved to see both of them in perfect health. Both had approached me.

"Master." Amusei spoke first.

"Good to see you both are alive and well." I responded.

"Thank you, it was a close one. If Amusei hadn't showed up, I'd surely be dead by now." Luciana added in.

"Yes, good thing he arrived just in time."

"Master, right after the Dark Brotherhood initiates stepped in, and then myself, I had Luciana come with me then we ran straight to the stables and rode to where we would meet the initiates at the Ill Omen Inn. They had never showed up, we waited more than a few hours, enough time for them to walk from Bravil to the Inn. We think they are dead." Amusei said.

"Unfortunate news we will have to send to Arquen. What of Theranis?"

"We don't know. We assume maybe he's dead also, but we're not sure." He said.

"Well, we only have one more fence out that we've left out, Dar Jee. Let's hope Arquen would be willing to spare a few more initiates to guard Dar Jee, and hope he's not already dead."

"I hope not." Luciana said.

"Anyways, thank you Amusei for your mission success. If it weren't for you, Luciana here wouldn't be standing with us. You've done the guild a great favor." Amusei smiled. "But I will need you to quickly ride to Leyawiin, meet with Dar Jee, inform him of the recent news, then bring him back. If you find that he is already dead, just return here."

"Understood, master. I will get right to it. However, I must include, I got well-acquainted with the innkeeper at the Ill Omen Inn, Manheim Maulhand. He is a Nord, and he is a fence." He said.

This took me off guard. "What?"

"Manheim is a fence, but he is with no guild or faction. He will buy stolen items from anyone, I've sold a few to him. Perhaps, we should consider recruiting him as our fence since he has the experience of one."

"Perhaps we should, this sounds like a great idea. Good job Amusei." I said.

"Thank you, Master. I will get going now."

"Be careful." Luciana said.

"Thank you." Then Amusei left.

I turned my attention to Luciana. "For your safety, speak with S'Krivva, I want you to stay with her for awhile. Your life in Bravil is now at end, returning will only bring you danger. You understand? Your life starts here in the city."

"Yes, sir. I will speak with her right away. Thank you, master." She said.

"Not a problem." I responded then she walked out the door.

An hour later...

_knock, knock, knock._

"Come in!" I called out.

Methredhel came inside, I had completely forgotten about her. "Ah, Methredhel. There you are."

"Master! Luciana Galena, I lost her in Bravil! She hadn't come out her home in the morning to go work at the Lonely Suitor Lodge, and I went to check in on her to find dead bodies on the floor!" She said.

"Oh, well. Luciana is here. I had Amusei go retrieve her after I had the Dark Brotherhood go and engage Theranis. Is he dead, by the way?" I asked.

"I didn't see his body in her house, just three corpses of 3 Dark Brotherhood initiates."

"So he's still alive then." I said.

"Yes." She agreed.

* * *

Sundas, First Seed 26, 4E 0 - Nightfall

I had considered Amusei's idea, we are losing fences and it's time we start getting them back, but we can only one small step at a time. I had taken a personal trip down the Green Road to the Inn of Ill Omen to meet with Manheim Maulhand.

It is just along the road from Faregyl Inn. I now stood outside the inn, I took off my gray cowl, but held it with me, and left my horse to wait in front.

I stepped inside, and first thing I seen was the ground floor contains the reception area consisting of a bar with a counter with Manheim standing behind it, and a dining room to the right. Walking forward, Manheim had been standing behind the counter. He looked at me, then gave a small smile as he wait for me to approach him.

I failed to notice also a woman, a Redguard, sitting on a chair in the dining room and drinking a tankard which must have contained mead or ale. She wore a quilted doublet, a pair of laced leather pants, and huntsman moccasins.

I noticed also Manheim had been wearing a blacksmith's apron, but had been an innkeeper, and nothing to be involved with the work of a blacksmith.

"Well I be a spotted snow bear, a customer!" Manheim said as I sat before the counter on the high chair.

"Hello, innkeeper. How are you doing today?" I responded.

"Doing well, business is slow, as always."

"Tell me about the Inn of Ill Omen." I said, trying to get acquainted with him.

"It's a horrible name for an inn, I know. But I just can't bring myself to change it. Besides, I like the sign." He responded.

"I hear you barter goods, even if they are stolen." I said to him.

He began to be a little hesitant, unsure of how to respond. "Yes. I do. What's it to you?"

I put on my gray cowl, then looked at him.

"By the nine, the Gray Fox! Why, sir, it is such an honor." He said.

"Oh, so you know of me." I said back.

"Well, of course! You're the most famous thief in all of Cyrodiil!"

"Thank you, I have heard of your bartering with buying stolen items, in my Thieves Guild, we call that a fence."

"Yes, sir, I had already known! I am such a fan for your works." He said.

"Thank you again. I've come here to give you an invitation, to become a fence within our Guild. You need not to be a thief, but our thieves will come to you to sell their goods. Besides, you look like you need this opportunity, you need more business."

"Yes I do, this is my opportunity in life that I have been waiting for! Thank you, sir. I will most humbly accept your invitation."

"Great! Very good. Welcome to the Thieves Guild. After I report that you are now an official fence for the Thieves Guild, your business will start rising." I told him.

"I cannot wait till I see that first customer walk in! Thank you, sir." He said.

"I will be sending you lockpicks soon, a thief's best tool, and something you can sell to the Guild. Good day now."

"Goodbye my friend! And remember, you're always welcome here!" He said.

I got up from the stool, turned around, an the Redguard woman stood behind me.

"It's good to see you, friend. This inn has been cheerless for far too long. I overheard your conversation. I would also like to be involved in your Guild, sir." She told me.

I considered for a moment. "Tell me about yourself."

"Me? My name is Minerva. I got no place else to be. I am a permanent resident here and I only talk with Manheim. Nothing else to tell other than just living off the rest of my days." She said.

I felt a little pity for her, but at the same time, opportunity. She looked trustworthy and loyal, so I considered her.

"Alright. Speak with Armand Christophe in the Waterfront District of the Imperial City. He will give you an admission test, and if you complete it, you will officially be a member of the Thieves Guild."

"That sounds wonderful, sir! Thank you! You have just changed my life around." She said.

"Don't forget about Manheim though, he won't be leaving."

She looked at him and back to me. "Yes, I can see that."

"Good day, Minerva."

"Good day to you, Gray Fox." She said, then I had left.

Once going outside, an Imperial Legion Forester had been walking up to the door. We both froze where we stood, unbelieving our eyes.

Perhaps I stayed a bit too long, he pulled out his sword and I dodged out his way and ran to my horse.

Once I got on, I rode away as the Imperial Legion got on his horse and followed. I rode back to the Imperial City, and lost him on the way there.


	13. Crimson Scars

Chapter thirteen - Crimson Scars

Middas, First Seed 29, 4E 0 - Dusk

Theranis walked through the woods, following the Green Road that circled around the Imperial City. For the past few days, Theranis had been furious with rage that held a fiery passion for revenge against both the Thieves Guild and some new Assassin Guild that had wounded him.

Theranis had been very weak, close to death if it hadn't been for his anger motivating to keep his body going. Theranis tried to feed off a few local people, but failed as they had escaped him. Theranis had been too weak to be able to run after them.

His wounds remained open, though the blood had stopped running, he has lost a lot of it. Theranis had been tired, exhuasted, from lack of energy. He had laid flat out on the road, stared up at the stars, while both Masser and Secunda stared down at him.

He watched a few falling stars as all the colors of the sunset began to fade, the sky light begin to fall into darkness. He closed his eyes, ready to let his life end, and his soul being taken into Oblivion for all the crimes he's done.

Not even a minute later, Theranis heard from a distance the sound of crunching rocks. _'Someone's coming._' A voice in the back of his head had told him.

He turned his head to see a black figure approach him, he opened his eyes wider, then enabled his night vision to see in the dark.

An Altmer man wearing middle-class clothing had approached him then knelt down beside him. "Sir, are you alright?"

Theranis was very weak, and he tried to speak but couldn't, his mouth had been dried up and his throat had felt like the hot desert sands of Elsweyr.

"What? I cannot hear you." The man said as Theranis was mouthing how thirsy he is, the man put his ear near his mouth.

Theranis used the rest of his strength to grab onto his neck and bring him to his mouth as he opened it and sank his teeth into his vein. The man began yelling and struggling, but Theranis tried with all his strength to hold on as hard as he can.

Theranis sucked his blood, each sip after sip that entered his body and started healing his wounds, strengthening his entire body providing it full of energy. The man stopped struggling, he began slowing down and becoming tired.

After Theranis was sure he was dead, and had sucked out as much blood as possible, Theranis pushed him off. His body flew off him 20 feet into the air and next to a tree.

Theranis got up quick, looked at the man._ 'Almost forgot how strong being a vampire is.'_ He thought.

He felt completely young and healthy again, but even more younger than ever, he looked down at his shirt where a few holes had been due to the pierced arrows, he felt where the wounds were and they were gone.

Theranis had never drank from someone so much as he did tonight, he felt full of energy and he began walking, then afterwards started running, soon after he began sprinting through the road.

He ran tirelessly and passed trees left and right as they had flown past him faster than it would riding a horse._ 'Never knew I could run this fast.'_ He thought as he smiled and continued running.

* * *

An hour later...

Theranis had killed a few bears along the road and some bandits that tried to mob him for his money. He never carried any money anyways, he just felt that he'd rather just take what he wanted.

A few bandits came at him with a sword in hand, and an archer stood behind. Theranis felt full of adrenaline and attacked first, he ran at the first bandit, threw a hard fist to the bandits face as he had cracked his jaw and fell to the floor.

The next bandit met with Theranis and swung his sword, he ducked under as low as he can and swung his leg, the bandit had been swept off his feet and fallen to the floor. Theranis got up, and another bandit came with a sword and almost hit Theranis until he dodged out the way just in time.

The bowman fired an arrow, and quickly, as Theranis had dodged the sword from the bandit near him, he grabbed his arm, pulled and threw him to the bowman as the arrow hit the flying bandit and fell on top of the bowman.

The fallen bandit that was swept off his feet got up, began attacking again, Theranis grabbed the man's wrist when he swung and stopped the attack, broke his wrist as he released the sword from his hand.

The sword was falling until Theranis caught it in mid-air quickly and used it to slice at him and cut off his head. The bandit that had the broken jaw got up slowly, Theranis noticed and threw the sword at him, the sword met with the bandit as it pierced straight through his neck inside the front and out the back, then fell to the floor.

The bowman and other bandit was starting to get up, Theranis ran at them at full speed and was before them in a split second from a twenty foot distance. Theranis moved with great speed and agility as the bandit swung at him, Theranis caught his wrist and let it guide the sword while he held it and made it swing too far that it hit the archer and sliced his throat open.

The bandit looked horrified, realizing he cut his partner. As he stood there with his back to Theranis, the vampire shoved his hand straight through the back of the bandit, and grabbed onto something, then out he pulled out his heart.

Theranis stood still after the bandit fell to the floor dead, he dropped the sack of heart to the floor, approached the bowman and started feeding off his bloody neck. Soon after he finished feeding on him, he fed off the other corpses as their blood had been still warm.

Theranis finally became a true slave to his blood lust, as tonight, his morals began to fade away and started changing into a bloodsucking savage.

* * *

Turdas, First Seed 30, 4E 0 - Midnight

Theranis had approached a small village, a village that had been at the bridge's end that linked land with the island of the Imperial City. When Theranis came closer, he seen a sign that said the town was called _"Weye"._

It is the first town you encounter after leaving the city, located at the west end of the main bridge to the city. The village contained only two buildings, Theranis approached one, the sign had said it to be the _"Wawnet Inn"_.

Theranis walked inside and seen that the room had been a main reception area consisting of a bar with a counter and a dining room. Behind the counter stood an Altmer woman, who wore a brown shirt and a green silk garment.

He noticed also a dining room, no one had been in there, and seemed to him that there had been no business at all. He seen also a man, a Breton man, sitting on the stairs. Theranis walked forward to sit down at the counter, maybe get a drink.

"Welcome to the Wawnet Inn. Could I interest you in a room or perhaps a bit of wine?" She offered.

"Yeah, sounds good." He responded.

"Coming right up." She said then turned around to take out a bottle of wine.

Theranis turned his head, seen that the man on the stairs had been staring at him, he wondered what he was staring at him for. _'Maybe because I'm a new customer.'_ He thought.

The Altmer woman had finished pouring a half tankard full of wine, then placed it in front of him. He stood up, took the tankard, then sat down at a table and started sipping on the wine.

"Psst. Hey, you!" Theranis turned his head, the Breton man on the stairs had been calling him. "Yeah, you! Come here! I got what you need..."

Theranis turned his head away to look at the innkeeper, she had busied herself with cleaning, he got up and walked over to the man. He wore a plaid shirt, light brown linens, a pair of quilted shoes, and he had been armed with a dagger.

"You need something... special? Check out my wares. You won't find this stuff at your local general store, that's for damn sure." He said.

"Don't need anything." Theranis said and turned to start walking away.

"Wait-" He called out and stood up to grab Theranis' wrist. Theranis felt a fire of rage in him that made him want to rip off his entire arm for grabbing him that way.

"That's not what I called you for. Ease your anger, vampire." He said, that last word just seemed to echo off the walls and darken the room just a little bit for Theranis. He turned his head to face him.

"I know who you are. I can see it in your eyes, that unaged look on your face, that curse that has stricken your face features to a torment of immortality." This man had brought Theranis wonder, he didn't know who he was, but for some reason, he knew about him.

"Who are you?" Theranis finally asked.

"My name is Rowley Eardwulf. I used to be a vampire like you are. What is your name?" Rowley asked.

"Theranis."

"Well, Theranis. I've been looking for someone like you. I used to be part of a group called the Crimson Scars, a powerful vampiric organization that existed until our leader had gave up his immortal life to Sithis. We were Dark Brotherhood assassins before, until the Dark Brotherhood ambushed us before we were about to kill off every member in their Guild to serve Sithis. I am the last remaining Scar, and I've been waiting for one day, a vampire like you, would help me reinstate the Crimson Scar's again. You interested?" Rowley asked.

Theranis had to think for a moment, this can be what he's looking for. He needed to get revenge against the Thieves Guild somehow, joining this Assassin Guild, the Crimson Scars, here will help with that too.

"You interested, Theranis?" He asked again after another moments past.

"Yes, I am." Theranis decided.

"Very good" Rowley said darkly and gave a low chuckle.


	14. Deepscorn Hollow

Chapter fourteen - Deepscorn Hollow

Fredas, First Seed 31, 4E 0 - Midday

The past couple days, after Theranis had accepted Rowley's invitation into the Crimson Scar's Guild, both of them had left Wawnut Inn and traveled together. First they took the Green Road to cross the bridge of the lake, and then took the Yellow road that led south-east down the Nibaney Basin.

The road eventually had turned to point south, and they continued down the road of the Nibaney Valley. After several hours walking, they neared Leyawiin, and the Blackwood forest.

During the time they traveled, Theranis had learned a lot of this Guild and it's origins.

"The Crimson Scars was created and led by Greywyn Blenwyth, Tamriel's most powerful vampire assassin. The Scars originally split from the Dark Brotherhood and were founded in order to destroy and replace them as the foremost assassins guild in Tamriel. The Scars were ambushed by the Dark Brotherhood who had gotten word of the rebellion, and the Scars were dispersed. The remaining Scars fled with Greywyn and secluded themselves in Blackwood and the town of Weye." Rowley said.

"You must be talking about yourself." Theranis said.

"Yes, myself and another Scar who had passed."

"Who is this Greywyn?" Theranis asked.

"Greywyn Blenwyth was an Altmer vampire. Little is known about Greywyn's life or past, save that he was a member of the Dark Brotherhood. Around 12 years before the events of the Oblivion Crisis, he believed that Sithis had instructed him to convert or purge all non-vampire members from the Brotherhood, and started gathering like-minded supporters. He called his faction the Crimson Scars. Within days, however, he was betrayed by a Scar named Silarian. The Brotherhood attacked him, and he barely escaped, unaware of the fate of his followers." Rowley explained.

"Where did he go?"

"He went to where we are going now, Deepscorn Hollow. Greywyn fled to Deepscorn Hollow where he waited for his allies, he found me not long after, and we began preparing the den to act as a base for the reformed Scars. Around two months later, after he had been receiving visions from Sithis to serve him months before when he was a Dark Brotherhood Assassin, he received another vision from Sithis. This vision seemingly condemning his actions and demanding that he cure himself of vampirism. He obeyed the order of Sithis and set about finding a cure, and managed to acquire Purgeblood Salts."

"Did he cure himself?"

"He did, but not long after, his life had been given up to Sithis and his soul had joined him in the Void."

"Why did Sithis want Greywyn to cure his vampirism?" Theranis asked.

"Well, when you are a vampire, you are immortal. You can't die. Sithis ordered Greywyn to cure himself so Greywyn's life can be taken into the Void and join with Sithis."

"Oh, I see. So where is this Deepscorn Hollow? How far are we from it?"

"Deepscorn Hollow is an underground lair southeast of Leyawiin catered to infamous characters. Deepscorn Hollow is also an asylum for the wicked, a refuge from the persecution of the virtuous. It is also the home of the Crimson Scars." Rowley finished, Theranis hadn't asked any more questions.

After several hours walking, they neared Leyawiin, and the Blackwood forest. They both went off-road passing Leyawiin, then walked more south to the shores of Topal Bay.

Deepscorn Hollow had been located a little off the shore and is an abandoned, destroyed house.

"To enter inside, we must dive underwater and find a basement cellar door, enter inside, then swim in, and you'll come to the surface after that will lead to the underground lair." Rowley said.

"Alright." Theranis said, then he walked into the shore waters and dived into the water.

Theranis held his breath, and started swimming under. He went under about ten to twenty feet and found a wooden door, he opened it and went inside as Rowley followed.

He went further and the water's surface came down upon him and next moment he was breathing air. He got out the water to find a room before him, pillars placed around the room and a garden behind them.

Rowley had come up from underneath the water, then followed behind.

_'Welcome home.'_ A voice in the back of his head had told him. Theranis wondered what it was, if it had been his conscience, or his thoughts, but wasn't sure.

"Alright, so, here she is. Crimson Hollow. Let me give you a tour." He said, then led Theranis through.

"The middle room serves as a garden, obviously, which includes the deadly chokeberry vines of Morrowind. Very rare here in Cyrodiil." He turned and led him to the room to the east where a man in black robes and a hood stood waiting.

"Alright, this man here is our Dark Minion. He is a vampire, and beside him is a chest. He will be sent out to murder in the name of Sithis. When he returns from his murderous mission he will deposit the loot of his victims in the chest." Rowley said.

"Hail Sithis." The Dark Minion said.

"...hello." Theranis managed to let out. The man stood quiet after.

Rowley led Theranis to the last room, "this room is just the storage room."

Rowley led Theranis to the second section of Deepscorn. It contained three rooms once again, as well as a secondary entrance to Deepscorn Hollow. The first room was less of a room and more of a "hub," but contains two shelves and two benches.

The second room to the south is called the "Font of Renewal", containing an altar in the middle inside a pool of water, and in the north-east corner of the room three veins of purgeblood salts.

The last room, to the west, is a small cave structure. "This area will serve the Cattle Cell. Cattle's are prisoners where vampires like you may feed on a sleeping prisoner. Unfortunately, we lack volunteers so our Dark Minion will go find us some after I give him the word." Rowley said.

"I understand." Theranis had been quite excited about that, he can feed anytime he wanted to. There's nothing he would love more.

Rowley led him to another room in the same section. "This room is called the Bastion."

The room comprises a study room, a bedroom, and a dining room. The study room housed over a dozen books.

"The next section contains the shrine of Sithis." Rowley included.

"Who sleeps here?" Theranis asked as he looked at the coffin that leaned against the wall.

"You. You are officially the Crimson Scar's leader. I'm not a vampire anymore, but I may serve useful as a merchant for the guild." He said.

"Wait, you recruited me to run this clan? You only wanted me to carry on the work of Greywyn?"

"You are a vampire, so why not? This is the perfect place for a vampire to live, no Imperial Legion would ever find this place. Go on in. I must speak with the Dark Minion and find some cattle." He said.

Theranis went in the room, looked around, Rowley had left. Theranis noticed a journal near the bed on the nightstand and picked it up.

_'Greywyn Blenwyth's journal.'_ He read.

He began reading it, learned more of Greywyn and everything that has happened. Not too much had been written, Theranis had finished after five minutes reading then Rowley returned.

"How do you like it?" Rowley asked then Theranis turned.

"It's perfect." He shut the journal. "It's time to start recruiting our army of vampires, if we ever want revenge against the Dark Brotherhood."

Rowley smiled. "Very good, I knew you would continue the work of Greywyn."

"Not only them, but the Thieves Guild too. Before we met, the Thieves Guild arranged an attack on me with their friends. I think that the assassin's were the Dark Brotherhood. First, we will raise our own vampire army, our own Guild, then we will attack both." Theranis said with a promise.

Rowley chuckled with a smile. "I like the way you think. So we will, we will avenge Greywyn, and put an end to the Dark Brotherhood and their thief friends." Rowley said.

Theranis returned his eyes to the journal. "So we will."


	15. Nightmares

Chapter fifteen - Nightmares

Tirdas, First Seed 28, 4E 0 -Nightfall

Night upon day, dusk upon dawn. Nothing but silence and waiting, breathing disturbing the quiet.

The past two days Amusei and I, plus two Dark Brotherhood initiates, we have been waiting at Dar Jee's home. We sit and wait for any small noise to occur, jumping up at the sounds of coughing that echoes off the walls, but nothing our breathing remains.

"Master, I think it's finally safe to say that Theranis must surely be dead. He hasn't showed up at all, and we've been waiting for him but he hasn't came." Amusei said.

"I think he's dead, too." A Dark Brotherhood initiate agreed.

I stood up, sheathed my sword, my arm had been weak due to the heaviness of the steel sword that weighed down more and more every hour. I walked to the center of the bedroom and turned around to face Amusei.

"Well, we may as well just leave then. He would've showed up by now and we would've ambushed him, but yes, he is dead finally." I said.

"He must have died from his wounds."

"I believe so, there's no way he would've taken on three people alone and came out of it without a scratch." I agreed.

"Let's go home, master." Amusei said.

We left Dar Jee's house, the initiates went the other way, going back to their sanctuary in Cheydinhal. Amusei and I got back on our horses that awaited us at the stables, and we rode back to the Imperial City.

A few animals and creatures, bandits and Imperial guards, followed us on our way back, but we just rode right past them. I never really took off the gray cowl, only when it's truly risky and I'm going in the Imperial City.

The stars and moons lit up our sky as I gazed up at it, then a thought came to my head. A thought I had not ever thought of till now, but one that will definitely effect my future.

_'Maybe I should retire as Guildmaster. Maybe I should give this gray cowl to the one who most deserves it. But who? Everyone plays a good part. Maybe I should make it a challenge, that someone in the guild complete a test, and whoever comes out victorious, will be entitled truthfully the best thief in the guild.'_

I could not think of anyone else other than Fathis Ules that would have fit the position perfectly, but there's no way I can ever crown him. It's just not a possibility anymore.

Amusei and I left our horses at the stables, went through the city to the Waterfront District, then entered the Guild Hall. A few beggars slept in some beds, a few guests, but we just walked by silently.

I opened the door to the next room, Burg Gro-Kaash had been setting up his bar, while S'Krivva, Luciana Galena, and Armand Christophe sat at a table together having a drink. I walked past them and up to my room, laid flat out on my bed, and fell asleep due to restlessness after staying up two days waiting for something that never happened.

I was asleep almost instantly after laying out on my bed, I had been so tired. Next moment, I found myself in a room, a quiet and dark room with only a lit candle to give a little light.

Someone had been sleeping in a bed, I didn't know who, just someone. Before I took a step to go find out, a figure had been in front of me and walking towards the sleeping person.

The figure had been a man, who had just walked straight through me, as if I did not exist. The man neared the sleeping one, bent over, and bit him on the neck as he woke up in pain.

The man tried to scream out, but couldn't, tried to move, but was immobilized. He just lay there in pain, but as old as he was, he couldn't do anything but let his life get sucked out of him.

I had been panicking and breathing hard, had I never seen someone die in my life. Eventually, the man gave up and exhaled his last breath.

The vampire that had bit him stood up straight, he turned around and looked directly into my eyes. I moved to the left, but his eye was still on me, with a hungry thirst in his eyes that could kill.

He turned and walked towards me, then rushed at me in a blink of an eye and bit me on the neck as I screamed out.

The pain had been excruciatingly unbearable, as I kept screaming and crying out in pain, my voice changed into a womans. Then I knew after it wasn't me, but someone else.

I woke up sweating, I took off my cowl right way and threw it beside me. I felt my neck, bare but a little wet from the sweat.

"Ugh, god I need a drink." I said to myself.

I went downstairs immediately, I was walking down the steps then I looked around. All eyes were on me, Luciana, S'Krivva, Amusei, Armand, and Burg.

They all looked at me and stood quiet, I looked at each other them back, confused.

"Did I miss something?" I asked.

"Uh..yes, you did." S'Krivva said.

Then it clicked, I forgot the cowl! I touched my face and felt it bare, unmasked.

"Oh..yeah."

"Yeah, you forgot your cowl, Master." Amusei said.

"So that's how you look like." S'Krivva said.

I just accepted it. All of Cyrodiil knows we exist, knows I exist, may as well let my brothers and sisters know I'm an existing person.

"Yes, this is me. This is who I look like." I said.

"Nice to see you actually have a face." Burg said after he gave a little laugh.

"I do." I approached him. "Can I have an ale, please?"

"Sure thing, boss." Then he started brewing up an ale for me.

Dra'haj stepped in the room, he walked past me and went straight to S'Krivva.

"S'Krivva, I finished that job you gave me." He said.

"Very good. Here's your coin." She said and handed it to him. He turned around and was headed straight to the bar.

"Who is this?" He looked straight at me, then everyone looked at him and didn't know what to say. "Are you new? My name is Dra'haj."

He extended his arm to me and I shook his hand. "Anthony."

"Nice to meet you, you'll love it here."

"Thank you." I said.

At that moment, Burg placed the tankard before me. "Here ya go, Bos-.. Anthony."

"Thank you, sir." I grabbed the tankard and took some sips. Dra'haj looked back and forth from me to Burg, then took another job from Armand and S'Krivva then left.

I drank all of the ale in less than five sips, I wanted to rid my memory of my dream, even if it was temporarily. I just didn't want to think about it.

Amusei and Armand joined me, and we played a drinking game of 'Last Man Standing'. Between the three of us, after every tankard we finish drinking, we stand up and walk to the other side of the room and back, and whoever is still standing and hasn't fallen over at all, wins.

Due to Amusei's tolerance to alcohol and how much time he spends drinking, he ended up being the one to win. I had fallen over a table and next thing I knew, I was falling asleep.

Luciana Galena and Armand Christophe got me to my feet and up the stairs to my bed, where my cowl stay waiting for me. They sat me down, and I laid back on the bed comfortably.

"Thank you, Luciana and Armand." I said.

"Not a problem, Master. You needed a drink after all that's been happening, we're glad it's over and you took care of it." Armand said then left the room.

I looked at Luciana who still stood there, but with a smile. She sat down on the bed next to me.

"Thank you for saving my life, Mast-.. Anthony. If it wasn't for you, I'd have been dead also. Now that you don't have your mask on, I've been waiting for the opportunity." Luciana leaned over me and kissed me on my lips, I knew it didn't mean anything, but more of a thank you.

After this, she stood up and walked to the door, looked back and smiled. She waited for a moment and I waved, didn't know what else to do.

"Thanks again, Anthony. See you tomorrow, Gray Fox." She said then left the room.

I had fallen asleep right after, and this dream, I was witnessing as a third person of Theranis speaking to five people. All of them had a hungry and furious look in their eyes.

"Now that you are all immortal, you all serve me. I have given you more than life, you all serve me." He said this as he walked back and forth in front of them.

"You have powers now, you all serve me. You are servants of the night, but you all serve me." Then he stopped. He looked at each of them, then turned again.

"Now, go and follow my orders. Kill everyone in this town, feast off of everyone." Theranis said, then all five men snarled with their long, sharp vampire teeth.

All of them had started running, attacking people in a small town, screams and cries filled the atmosphere, and the sky seemed to have became blood red and thundering.

I woke up again, sweating again, with the biggest headache I've ever had. I must have been having these dreams for a reason, and I needed to find out why.

I went to my bookcase, found a book that told me the whereabouts of the Thieves Guilds blessing Daedric Princess, Lady Nocturnal. I've read the whereabouts of her shrine, and I planned a trip to go see her, for she will know and will help me with these nightmares.


	16. Shrine of Nocturnal

Chapter sixteen - Shrine of Nocturnal

Turdas, First Seed 30, 4E 0 - Nightfall

Over the past two days, everytime I fall asleep, I've had nothing but bad dreams concerning Theranis. I struggled over and over to find a solution to why I have been having these dreams.

Today, I have taken a journey alone to the Shrine of Nocturnal, to seek answers for myself. I have read that her shrine is near Leyawiin, north on the yellow road.

At midday, I departed from the Guild Hall and have spent the entire day searching for the shrine's whereabouts. I have been wandering around the Blackwood forest for about two hours looking for it, but have had no luck.

It's getting dark and I cannot see where her shrine is, I don't have enough light to see where much of anything is. I felt lost, too. I have only read where to find it, not the exact location.

After another half hour wandering alone in the forest, I dropped to my knees, tired from so much walking, and prayed to her for an answer.

"Lady Nocturnal, where can I find your shrine? Where?"

No response.

'_Should've expected that, she can't just talk to me like if she's here'._

I bent over and planted my forehead against the grass with my hands on my head, and stayed that way for a few minutes. I got up to my feet, started walking further, then I heard something.

Voices.

I heard voices. And not only that, as I go closer, I see lighting. Torches. And as I drew closer, there it was, the Shrine of Nocturnal.

Did she answer me? Or was I already nearby? Was I walking in circles? I didn't know, all I knew is I'm here finally and I needed to come here.

I approached closer, seen three people, all females, one was a breton, one was a redguard, and the last one was dressed in brown robes, was an Orc priestess.

I slowly went closer, afraid I'd be attacked, but once they all seen me, they bowed. All my caution had went away, I approached the priestess.

"Perhaps you have been summoned. Perhaps Nocturnal desires your service, and has guided you here. Approach." The Orc female said.

I nodded after being given permission, I was still wearing my gray cowl, and none of Nocturnal's followers seemed to be alarmed, so I just approached the shrine. The Shrine of Nocturnal appeared as a lady in robes and hood, with her arms extended from her body, and a crow on both arms, one who stood, and one about to fly.

"Greetings, Gray Fox." Nocturnal spoke.

I kneed one down to the ground and bowed.

"Dearest Lady Nocturnal, I come before you today in request of your assistance."

"What is this request you seek, Thieves Guildmaster?"

"As of lately, I have been plagued with unpleasant dreams. Recently, the Thieves Guild has developed an enemy, a threat, and we've been doing all we can to rid of it. I think he is dead, but I also think he may be alive, or his soul haunting me."

"Yes. A former thieves guild member, Theranis. I foresaw this moment how you will come to me for help, and help is what you will receive, Gray Fox."

"Why am I having these dreams of him torturing innocent people? Is he haunting me every time I sleep?" I asked.

"Theranis will prove to be the greatest challenge you will ever face. He is full of strength and anger, and everyday, his hate expands, grows to make him stronger. It is the reason he is still alive today, regardless if he is a vampire. These dreams you possess are not of nightmare, but of truth. Theranis still lives. You are not dreaming, but seeing what is reality. I have made sure you are aware of his actions."

"So you are the one showing me these images in my dreams?"

"Indeed, child. It is how I will reach out to you."

"How do I get rid of Theranis? How do I kill him?" I asked, but Nocturnal remained quiet a few moments as I waited for her response.

She did no respond, no matter how long I wait. "How do I kill him, Lady Nocturnal?"

"Night among strangers. Secrets in the dark. Nocturnal is here. But my Eye is blind and drowned, stolen from its shrine, and hid in dark waters. To steal from a God is most unwise. In Leyawiin, two Argonians think themselves secret, but the Eye has seen them. Find these thieves in the city that spans the waters. Learn where they hide my Eye. Retrieve the Eye of Nocturnal, child, and return it to me, and I shall look favorably upon you. Your wish will also be granted." She said.

"What are their names?

"Weebam-Na and Bejeen." She said.

"Yes, Lady Nocturnal. I will do as you say."

"Go child, bring back what is mine."

I stood up, turned around, and made my way to Leyawiin. I had to remember where her shrine is, how it wasn't far off from the yellow road.

I took my cowl off and backpacked it, then walked for half an hour to Leyawiin. Once I got there, a few people greeted me, I responded with a greeting, but continued on.

I didn't know where this Weebam-Na or Bejeen had lived, so I needed to speak to my eyes and ears, the beggars. Once I went inside the town, I found a beggar sleeping next to the town walls, and I bent over to give a couple small taps on her arm.

The woman had waken up right away, gotten up to her feet, then looked me in the eyes. She smiled as she had not cared that I woke her.

"Good evening." She said.

"Hello. I am here to ask you of Weebam-Na and Bejeen."

"Weebam-Na and Bejeen have been bragging about some big score they made recently. They claim it's a valuable jewel. Heh. Who knows with those two." She responded.

"Do you know where they live?"

"I might. For a price."

"How does 20 septims sound?" I asked.

"Sounds acceptable. Weeban-Na's house is on east side of Leyawiin, opposite of House for Sale."

"Thank you."

"Anytime now."

Immediately, I went to where the house for sale was, and across from it, Weebam-Na's house had been there. I opened it, it was unlocked, and went inside.

Inside, the walls and floors were all wood, the living room had chairs and tables, I walked forward and seen an Argonian male. I thought it would be nice to ask and see if he would kindly tell me where it is.

"Hello. Do you know where a jewel is, a jewel that belongs to the Shrine of Nocturnal?" I asked.

"Never heard of the thing. And neither has Bejeen. You ask too many questions." He said, he must have been Weebam-Na.

"It was just one question, thank you though." I walked away, and I opened the door and shut it, but I was still inside, waiting.

They must have thought I left already, but I was still there waiting till I heard them talking, I decided to listen in on them. Perhaps they would speak of where it was, I didn't want my leads to fall here.

"But what if the trolls eat it?" Bejeen asked, I knew this because it wasn't Weebam-Na's.

"Trolls don't like water. Trolls don't swim. The Eye is perfectly safe in Tidewater Cave. So relax."

Perfect.

That was the correct information I needed, Tidewater Cave, time to go speak to that beggar again of it's location.

I opened the door again, went outside and slammed it shut to make sure they were alarmed, and I walked away laughing. I went to the beggar right away.

After speaking her I hurried out of Leyawiin, Tidewater Cave had been south of Leyawiin next to Topal Bay.

I walked there an took nearly an hour, but I had found the cave overlooking the bay. I went inside slowly, not sure of what I would find.

I was sure to put on the gray cowl, and once inside, I had seen there were a few auras. I didn't have time for trouble so I had to sneak through.

I had passed a bear, and I had a choice of going two ways, straight, or left. I turned left and continued.

Another bear had been before the water. I went in the water, passed the bear, and went left again once reaching a point where I had to go two ways.

I continued on through the water slowly, but I approached a dead ends, I seen a chest and opened it.

The jewel is in it!

"Yes!" I said in a loud whisper.

Right there and then I made my way back to the shrine, hurrying to give Nocturnal what is hers. It took an hour, maybe more than that, but I eventually got back.

"My Eye is returned, and I once again see into the darkness that is your world. We mock the thieves, for bitter is their loss. Child, you may take this. It shall open the secrets of dark places for you."

"Thank you, Lady Nocturnal." I said. I looked at what her gift was, it was set before her shrine on the ground before I picked it up, it looked like lockpick, but was much bigger.

"Now, what about Theranis?" I asked.

"You have been as near as a doorstep away from him, he is near where you have found my Eye. Search upon the shores of the Topal Bay, you will find him, but do not be alone, for he is not. Theranis is a dangerous enemy against the Thieves Guild, he will not stop killing and feeding off the innocence, for everyday, his blood runs colder and colder. Do not rush to engage him, for upon the day you see him again, before the hour you two meet again, you will have a choice in whether to walk away and save yourself, or, fight for the Thieves Guild and kill him, which of that will only mean your death. You cannot win this war against an army of vampires he is building, but only you can save the Thieves Guild. Choose wisely child. You have time. You will know when it will be the right time to see him again." Nocturnal had been silent thereafter, and so was I.

I had been near the middle-age mark, but I had still been young, and I wasn't ready to die yet. What will I choose? To live and eventually retire, find a wife and have a family, or to die to save the Thieves Guild?

_'I don't know... this is the hardest question I have ever faced.'_


End file.
